Beneath the Surface
by Unique
Summary: The future from Seaquest DSV does not exist. When everything else has changed Seaquest is still our greatest chance for peace because beneath the surface lies the future.
1. Default Chapter

The future was not what we thought it would be.  As children, we envisioned a bright future with all manner of technological wonders. The computer age that began at the end of the twentieth century seemed to herald the coming of our greatest dreams. Mankind stood on the peak of Olympus and nothing seemed impossible. But things did not continue this way for long. The twenty-first century brought a series of rude awakenings. The Eurodollar was launched as a way to unite Europe but the currency did not last long leaving many of the countries bankrupt. The stock markets that were already on shaky ground could not withstand this blow and crumbled. Nuclear war was in the Middle East while terrorists and pirates plagued the world. 

The spirit of the American people had never been stronger. Half of the able bodied population volunteered for the armed services. The other half fought valiantly at home to support the efforts of our military. The family unit was non-existent but children were cared for and loved by the entire community. The majority of the population moved inland as the costal and border states became war zones subjected to invasion from hostile parties.

The internet was still alive and hackers were a prime commodity. A good hacker could keep your ship safe or sink her at the deepest point in the sea. Slave trades flourished as pirates captured not only goods but people as well. Rumors persisted of even American parents selling their children especially the gifted ones. Government programs protected as many as they could hoping to one day employee them. Biological warfare was a constant danger as new and old diseases were released upon the unsuspecting populations. Doctors tried to inoculate as many as possible but more often quarantine was the only treatment.

I enlisted into the navy on my eighteenth birthday following in my father's footsteps. I have seen horrors that keep me awake at night. I have killed more men than I care to count. I have done things that I am not proud of yet I would do it all over again to keep my country safe. I spent some time off of the coast of Canada where I met my wife. She filled my life with hope and love and I'll miss her until the day I die. She was killed during an attack on Prince Edwards Island while I was patrolling the Gulf of Mexico. I can not help but think that had I been there, had I not been so dedicated to my navy, then perhaps I could have saved her. My son died soon after. I will bear the guilt of my son's death for all eternity because I was the one who forced him into military service. The series of blows almost cost me my mind but the support of my dearest friend  helped me pull through. 

I write this now as I embark on a new journey, a journey that could save the life of millions. I have a new boat. She's the best our navy has to offer. I have a new crew. They're loyal, dedicated, and the best our navy has to offer. Our task is an important one. It will be long but if we succeed all will benefit. We are going to free the sea. For beneath the surface, lies the future. 


	2. Chapter One

AN: The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. The future that we saw in Seaquest does not exist. In this universe, the seaquest is a war vessel. Her crew contains familiar names and faces but they are changed and hardened from the years of war. While everything else has changed, she is still the world's greatest hope for peace. 

Reviews are welcome but flames about how I've changed things are not. The subject of homosexuality arises but it is not mentioned to any great length or described in any manner. If you still have a problem with the subject, do not continue reading.

 ***************************************************************************************

Captain Nathan Bridger could not stop a sharp intake of breath at the sight of his new ship. The Seaquest was gorgeous. She was more than he had ever imagined. Having helped with the design, he knew this boat intimately but to see her, to see his boat, it took his breath away.  

"Quite a sight, isn't she?" asked Admiral Noyce from behind Bridger. 

"She's magnificent, Bill." 

"See that you take care of her. She's going to be very important for us."

"I'll guard her with my life." The admiral nodded sadly knowing that it was likely that his friend would lose his life on this boat. 

"Nathan, this is not going to be like any mission you've been on before. If you lose men, you are going to have to keep going without their skills or find someone to replace them. You are not always going to be able to replace them with men on the boat. We are giving you the power to employ non-military and non-Americans on this boat. Just make sure that they are trustworthy people. We can not afford to have any spies on her."

"I understand, Bill."

"Listen to me, Nathan. This is little more than a suicide mission. We've given you the best that we have to help you survive but the likelihood of you surviving is slim. Most likely every man on this boat will be dead within the next three years. I wish to God, I were not sending any of them out on this mission especially you. I don't want to lose my best friend but you're all we have. You're our only hope in this mission. Do what you have to do to succeed, Nathan. Whatever you have to do."

"I promise." The two friends shook hands and gave each other a brief hug. Once on the boat, there would be no time for goodbyes. 

"Sirs, we've finished docking. Shall I have them open the gate?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Smith. That would be fine," answered Admiral Noyce. "Come along, Captain. Let us go have a look at your boat."

"Admiral Noyce, Captain Bridger, welcome aboard."

"At ease, Commander. Captain, this is your second in command, Commander Ford. You could not ask for a better man for the job." The commander was a large black man with a muscled build and a no-nonsense attitude. 

"Thank you, sir," replied Ford shaking the Captain's hand. "Do you wish to see the bridge first?"

"That would be fine."

"We're still bringing in supplies but she'll be ready to embark within the week."

"Eager to be underway, Commander?"

"No, sir. This will be a difficult mission. I do not look forward to it."

"A wise man," replied Bridger. He was observing his boat as they walked along the corridor. The deck was clean and people moved about in an orderly fashion. He knew that every available space would be filled with men and supplies. They would not be able to return to port whenever they needed supplies so everything was bought in triplicates. They passed a storeroom where beach music was being played from a portable stereo. Bridger stopped in the doorway. "Who is responsible for this?" he asked. 

"That would be me, sir," replied a man coming from behind a locker. "Lieutenant Benjamin Krieg, sir. I'm your morale officer as well as being in charge of supplies." 

"Morale officer?"

"Yes, sir. The men are going to need whatever help they can get to help them deal with what we are going to go through out there. It's my job to bring them what I can." The lieutenant looked Bridger in the eye. His eyes were serious and shadowed by a lifetime of experiences. Suddenly, he smiled and there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I was a class clown, sir. It makes me real good at my job."

"I see. Make sure you don't disrupt the workings of the boat and you're welcome to do whatever you can to boost morale." He patted him on the shoulder and moved on with the Admiral and the Commander. 

"If I may, sir?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"Lieutenant Krieg can be rather unorthodox but he gets results. In the past, him and I have had our differences but he is very good at his job and he takes it very seriously. I respect him for that."

"Thank you, Commander. See to it that should any new differences arise between the two of you, you deal with it quickly and quietly. I do not want there to be any disharmony on my boat."

"Yes, sir." The three of them walked onto the bridge. "Admiral on the bridge. Captain on the bridge."

"At ease, gentlemen," stated the Admiral. He began to lead Bridger around the bridge introducing him to his officers. "Captain, this is Lieutenant Commander Katherine Hitchcock. She is probably your most versatile crewmember. She has been trained to pilot Seaquest as well as the smaller launches and fighter craft. She also runs the computers here on the bridge."

"I am glad to have you on board, Lt. Commander. You will be a valuable asset."  He looked over the woman for a second. She was beautiful but her features had a hardness that made her look dangerous. This was not a woman to be underestimated. She would do her job and do her job well. 

"Thank you, sir. I am glad to be here."

"This is Lieutenant, j.g. O'Neill. He mans communication. How many languages do you speak, Lieutenant?"

"Forty-six fluently, sir. Ten others passably well," replied the mousy bookish little man. 

"A pleasure to have you aboard, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir."

"How does he hold up in a fight?" asked Bridger softly. 

"He holds his own just fine or he wouldn't be here. He's not much in hand-to-hand combat but he's a great shot. He's also the best communications officer in the navy. He's talked his way out of more than one tight spot. And this is Lieutenant, j.g. Miguel Ortiz, your sensors specialist," he continued in a louder voice. "Lieutenant Ortiz is also one of your best leaders out in the field."

The curly-haired Hispanic man smiled at the Captain as he saluted and shook his hand. "It is an honor to meet you, Captain. I fought with your son at Charleston." 

"Ah, and did Robert tell you what a horrible father I was?" asked Bridger with a smile. 

"No, sir. He loved you very much. He told me the last time I saw him that his only regret about joining the navy was that he would never be as good as you, sir. He was proud to have you for a father."

"Thank you, Mr. Ortiz. You do not know what it means to hear that from you." Bridger blinked rapidly to disperse the moisture that had gathered under his eyelashes. Admiral Noyce gripped his friend on the shoulder and steered him away from the sensors specialist. "Did you bring him on because of Robert?"

"No. I knew that they served together but it did not play a part in my decision to include him. Mr. Ortiz is one of our best if not the best at retrieval operations. He has a knack for getting his team and the target out of sticky situations alive. He is also very good at his job on the boat. Besides," smiled Noyce. "If the rumors are true, how could I break up the pairing of Ortiz and O'Neill?"

"They're a couple?" asked Bridger incredulously as they left the bridge. 

"So the rumors say. Fact is it doesn't matter. They're a good team and they work best together."

"But this is the navy!"

"Nathan, I'm not going to tell you how to run your boat but this is an impossible mission. If Carol was alive and in the navy, wouldn't you want her here with you?" When Bridger did not answer, he nodded his head. "See what I mean? Let them be, Nathan. If the rumors are true, let them spend what time they have left with each other."

"I can't say that I completely agree with you but I won't press the matter as long as I do not have any evidence of unprofessional behavior."

"That's all I ask. You have two more officers off making patrols. Ensign Henderson is fresh out of Academy. She has good scores on piloting but she's young and naïve. I don't suspect that she'll survive long but her father pressured for her to be assigned to the boat. The other is Lieutenant Brody.  He's an excellent fighter pilot. He works in security. Chief Crocker is in charge of security on the ship with Lt. Brody working under him but as you know Crocker is getting up there in years and he's agreed to led Lt. Brody be in charge of security on-shore. It's not the most orthodox arrangement but I feel it will work out well. You can, of course, make changes later if you feel they are necessary." They entered into a large room with an open pool of water in the center of it. 

"The moonpool!" exclaimed Bridger happy to see the invention that he had lobbied so hard for it to be installed. 

"Yes, complete with a dolphin." The admiral pressed a button on the side of the tank and soon the sleek, gray form of a dolphin swam rapidly into the pool. The dolphin surfaced and chattered at them. "Communication with the animal is still rudimentary at best but they've proved useful at scouting out an area. This one is named Darwin. He knows over 65 words in sign language." 

"Hey Fish-face!" called out a voice as the man entered the room. "Excuse me, sirs. I did not know that there was anyone in here," apologized the seaman saluting to the pair. 

"You are Seaman Piccolo, are you not?" asked Admiral Noyce.

"Yes, sir."

"Ah, I thought I recognized your face. Piccolo came to you from the X-alpha project."

"I see," replied Bridger scrutinizing the young man. The X-alpha project was well known in the upper echelons of military command. It was an experiment to alter the human form through grafting and cloning of parts. Their first successes dealt mainly with creating people with four arms or with cat eyes or similar projects. This man before him had no obvious alteration. Many of the experiments were never released from the headquarters of their agency. None were allowed back into mainstream society. He wondered what about this young man warranted him being placed on Seaquest.

"I got gills, sir," said the young seaman answering the unasked question. "A submarine is a logically place for me. They promised that if'n I do real good and come back alive then I can be released from my service. I ain't gonna jump ship," he continued softly but firmly. 

"Gills, huh. That's a useful attribute to have on a submarine. Welcome to seaquest, Seaman."

"Thank you, sir." The seaman relaxed and saluted again.

"Shall we visit medBay before I have to depart?"

"Yes, and a stop by my quarters. Carry on, Seaman Piccolo."

"Captain, this is Dr. Levin, your head surgeon. This is his assistant, Dr. Wendy Smith. Dr. Smith also has a degree in psychology."

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you," replied Bridger shaking hands with the serious looking doctor, and the smiling Dr. Smith. "I hope that we do not keep the two of you very busy this tour."

"I wish that were so," replied Dr. Smith. "We are under no illusion that this is going to be an easy assignment. We'll do our best to provide the best care possible for our patients."

"That is all that I could ask of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the Admiral before he leaves."

"They're tougher than they look. All of the key personnel are proven veterans. We've done our best to push the balance in your favor. You'll need all of the help you can get."

"I'm not going to be able to bring all of them home. I doubt I'll be able to bring myself home."

"We're not expecting miracles. We gave every man on this boat the opportunity to decline this assignment. Most of them agreed. No one declined that was not easily replaceable with someone just as competent. Every man on this boat made the choice to stay. They know what they are getting into, Nathan. It will not make their deaths any easier to deal with but it was their choice."

"Thanks, Bill."

"No, Nathan. Thank you. Now these are your quarters." He opened the door into the Captain's Cabin. "Most of what you need should already be here. Make a list of anything that is listed and Lt. Krieg will see that it is brought aboard before you set sail." He paused for a moment to stare at his oldest friend. The years had not been kind to either of them but Nathan was still fit and more than capable for this position. He memorized the wrinkles that had begun appearing after Carol had died and the laugh lines that were a legacy of a forgotten youth and the fiery determination to succeed that burned deep in Nathan's eyes. This was his friend and he had to grab hold of this moment now because it might be the last time they ever saw one another. 

They moved without talking towards the launch bays. Silently they saluted each other not daring to voice their goodbyes. To voice them would be to make them more real and increase the risk that they might be the final goodbye. Such logic was flawed, a fact that they both recognized, yet neither would speak the words for fear that it might be true. In a space of time void of sound, they watch as the doors slid closed between them. Then they were shut and the farewell was finished but the journey had yet to begin. 


	3. Chapter Two

The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. The future that we saw in Seaquest does not exist. In this universe, the Seaquest is a war vessel. Her crew contains familiar names and faces but they are changed and hardened from the years of war. While everything else has changed, she is still the world's greatest hope for peace. 

*****************************************************************************************

"Commander! Sensors indicate that we have a large unidentified ship at coordinate (39,72). What are our orders?"

"O'Niell, hail the Captain. Inform him of the situation then see if we are picking up and signals off of the ship."

"Yes, sir," stated Tim as his fingers flew across the console. "Captain? We've sighted another ship. We're awaiting your orders. Yes, sir. Right away, sir." He switched the microphone off for a second. "Commander, the Captain is on his way to the bridge. He has instructed that I contact the ship."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Commander Hitchcock, have there been any attempts on our computers?"

"No, sir. So far everything is clean." 

"This is US Navel vessel, SeaQuest. Please identify yourself or you will be deemed a hostile target. I repeat: identify yourself. Over." Tim shook his head when there was no reply. This ship would be their third hostile this week. They had only been out to sea about a month but there had been more than enough fighting to last any man's lifetime. Lady Luck had been with then so far and there had been no fatalities or even major injuries in the first battles. He looked up to meet Miguel's worried eyes. They both knew that their luck could not last forever and sooner or later people were going to start dying. When teams started moving inland, it was going to be even more certain that the death toll would rise. 

"Captain on the bridge."

"All right, gentlemen, where do things stand?"

"There is a ship ahead, sir. Two kilometers and closing."

"They are not answering our hails, sir."

"Commander, sound the alarms. I want all on duty personnel at their battle stations and any off-duty personnel sealed in their quarters. Ortiz, see if you can get a lock on this ship. Let's get them dead in the water."

"Aye, aye, Captain," he replied strapping himself into his chair. He brought Mother into position to relay back locations. "I've got her, sir. No, wait. I'm picking up an echo. The sensor is relaying back two locations."

"Hitchcock."

"On it, sir." Her fingers flew over the console trying to breaking into the other ship's mainframe. Once it she could easily adjust the sensors to read the correct locations. "They've got a hacker, sir. He's blocking my every move. I'm sorry, sir, but he's better than me. I can't get through."

"Can you keep him out of ours?"

"I don't know, sir. So far he's not trying anything."

"Very well. Bring us to the surface we're going to have to board her."

"Yes, sir," replied the pilot. 

"Lt. Brody, gather a team and meet and launch bay one. This is a Code Four."

"Aye, Aye, sir."

"Captain! We have visuals. She's a slave ship. Looks to be Spaniard." The ship was a small flat vessel. She was designed for carrying goods but now her cargo was humans. There could be anywhere from thirty to a hundred people crammed into her holds with only a skeleton crew to sail her. 

"Ortiz, take Lt. Krieg and gather another team. Back up Brody and assist with the transportation of the slaves. O'Niell, take over Ortiz's station. Ensign Henderson, take over communications. Alright gentlemen, let's get in and get out with as little loss of life as possible."

"Even the slavers, sir?"

"If you can avoid killing them, do so but don't risk your life in the process. You and the cargo are the important ones to get out alive."  Ortiz saluted as he left the bridge. O'Niell watched him as he left memorizing each step. Ortiz took a last glance back at his friend before the bridge doors shut. He raced through the corridor contacting the men he would need through the PAL. The normal size of a team was ten but he would only be taking eight men. Three would split off with him while three would split off with Krieg. 

"All right, men," he said to the team gathered outside of ammunitions. "We're going into a tight spot. There's a slaver ship up ahead. Real mean looking mother. Now she might only have a skeleton crew but I'm not willing to bet my life on that. Pick up a revolver, boot knife, and the machine gun of your choice. You'll need double ammunition, flack jacket, and life vest. Don't get the life vest shot full of holes. It tends to get a little leaky when you do that. You three are with Krieg. If you screw up, you answer to him. If you disobey him, then you answer to me. You do not want to answer to either of us so listen well and do your job right. Krieg, I'll need you to get below deck. Once they figure out that they've lost, they're going to try and eliminate the bounty. It's your job to keep the slaves alive long enough for us to set them free. I'm going to be providing cover and back up for Brody and his men. Any questions? No? Good. Class dismissed. We've got a ship to capture."

"Har, har, har, men. Let's go!!" shouted Krieg as he jogged behind Ortiz on the way to the launch bay. "Ah, nothing like playing pirates to get your blood pumping."

"Just make sure that it's not pumping out of you."

"True, that does tend to put a damper on things." The two men grinned at each other as the rest of their team filed into the launch. Krieg sat down at the controls and fired up the ship. "Permission to embark."

"Permission granted. Good luck, gentlemen."

"May the Gods will it so." The launch bay cycled open and they sped out into the water. The seas were rough and Krieg had to fight the controls. With experienced hands, he ducked into a current and rode it until he was almost parallel to the ship. He cut diagonally across the water inching closer to the surface. In seas as rough as these, a slight miscalculation of course would send them smashing into the ship instead of pulling the launch up beside her. Krieg maneuvered skillfully until there were only a few inches separating the ship from the launch. He engaged the magnetic locking system and the launch drifted closer until it was held firmly against the metal siding of the ship. 

"Good job," said Ortiz patting Krieg on the shoulder. On the boat Krieg out ranked Ortiz but out in the field Ortiz was in charge and a compliment from him felt almost as good as a compliment from the Captain. "Ok, men, give your weapons a last check and line up by squad. Channel two on the radio is ours. Channel three is for both teams. Radio silence until further notice so no chitchat. Once again our objectives are: get in, get in position, hold the position, don't get dead. This is it, boys. Let's go!"

The back man for each team positioned themselves on either side of the hatch. They counted down then threw open the hatch throwing themselves onto the surface. The men below held their breath waiting for the sound of gunfire. One of the men signaled 'all clear' and they made their way up the ladder. The front men quickly secured a pair of ladders onto the side of the ship. On the opposite side of the ship, shouts were heard followed by gunfire as the first team was spotted. The men quickly cleared the ladder and ducked down to provide coverage should they be discovered as well. The back men were the last to scramble aboard deck. Ortiz waved for Krieg to split off from the group. He signaled and his men began to circle around the ship. 

Almost as soon as Krieg slipped from sight, a shout rang out and Ortiz was too busy dodging bullets to wonder how the other half of his team was doing. Up ahead he spotted Brody weaving behind a pile of netting. Across the deck their eyes met, silently they weighed their options reaching the same decision. Together they rolled, missing the fire in the center of the deck where they intersected. Taking the shot had moved the slavers out from behind their protection. Ortiz and Brody were rewarded with the sound of a few of them crying out in pain as other members of the teams made good use of the distraction. Ortiz slid along the starboard side of the ship signaling to his men to try and make their way closer to the slavers. Brody and Ortiz's positions reversed as Brody found himself providing coverage for Ortiz. It was not how things were originally planned but the four men could maneuver more readily through the firefight than ten. While Brody and his men kept them occupied, he was going to try and slide along behind them to catch them from the rear. 

He jumped back as one of the men fired around the corner. He felt a slight stinging sensation in his left shoulder and looked down to find a tear in his uniform where the bullet nicked him. He tried to back up out of sight but it was too late. He had been spotted. Time froze as he found himself staring down the barrel of the gun. The cocking of the gun echoed in his ears. Ortiz blinked as a bead of sweat trickled down his back. A thousand thoughts flickered through his head. Prayer's flowed silently from his eyes to Tim's God, Krieg's Goddess, and ever other deity he had ever heard mentioned. Blood splattered his face and he could hear his heart beating again. He wiped his face and nodded his thanks to the Seaman behind him. 

Pushing the dead body of the slaver out of his way, he continued around the corner as though he had not just stared death in the face. Never pausing, he was taking out the first of the men from behind before they had a chance to react to the gunshot that had saved his life. They took out five of the twelve slavers left in the first blast. The distance closed quickly and they were fighting side by side. The guns were useless here but each of the men from Seaquest was well trained in hand-to-hand combat and armed with a knife. With fourteen men and seven slavers, it was a challenge to keep the damage limited to the enemy. Ortiz danced around with his knife, kicking and punching, stabbing and slicing. The blade tore like teeth into the flesh of the enemy demanding their surrender. Then before they had had time to register that it had begun, it was over. Almost twenty slavers lay scattered across the deck. Half were dead. The other half was injured to various degrees. Of the SeaQuest crew, all remained standing although several of them would not have remained that way much longer. Five of the more able-bodied sailors were sent below deck to assist Krieg with the freeing of the slaves. The other men restrained the slavers and helped the injured back to the launches. 

"Are you ok?" asked Brody walking up to Ortiz.

"Yeah, it's just a scratch. Most of this blood isn't mine."

"Good. Ensign Henderson is going to bring another launch over to help with the transport. We're going to check out the crew's quarters and the bridge. We need to make sure we've got everyone. Do you want to come along?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"That was a hell of a fight."

"We got lucky. Again. Things would have gotten bloody real fast if they'd had some decently trained men on this ship."

"It was bloody enough with this batch. Be thankful that this was all that they had."

"I'm always thankful for anything that keeps me alive."

The quarters for the men were dark, musty, little rooms. They smelled of urine and sweat. The Captain's quarters were larger but no cleaner. Hygiene was obviously not a priority for these men. There was one other room that appeared to house people but it only contained a mattress and a lock on the door. The galley was empty as was the mess hall. Rats crept silently along aluminum tables. Much of their food supply was molded or rotten. It was clear that times were lean for this ship. 

"We're entering the bridge," relayed Brody to his men. The door was not sealed so Ortiz pushed it open signaling one of the men behind him to scout out the room. Seaman Jacobson stepped forward into the room. He turned around surveying the room then took a step back towards the door.

"There's a couple of bodies but it appears cl…." The seaman broke off as a surprised expression slipped across his face. He placed bloody hands against the newly made bullet hole in his abdomen and slid to the floor. 

"I think we found the captain," stated Brody as he crouched along the deck. 

"No man will be taking over my ship while I'm still alive!" shouted the Captain. 

"We'd be glad to let you have your ship," replied Ortiz. "I'm sure you understand why we can't let you keep your cargo and your crew."

"Over my dead body!"

"That can also be arranged. Perhaps we could discuss this better face to face. Put the gun down and step out where we can see you."

"Do you think I'm stupid or something? I'm not gonna come out there and let you arrest me!"

"It was worth a try. Any other suggestions?"

"Lt. I can take him out," whispered one of the team members. 

"Are you sure?"

"Completely. Just keep him talking."

"So, Mister Captain, do you have a name?" asked Ortiz.

"I do but it's no business of yours."

"I disagree. It will come in very handy when we are filling out the reports." Any reply the Captain may have had for the comment died with him. At that very moment, the team member dived into the room, pulled up his gun, and shot the old captain between the eyes. He died before he had a chance to fire.

"Ah, Eric," said the seaman bending down beside his fallen comrade. "Why'd you have to go and get shot?" The sailor did not answer. He had lapsed into unconsciousness as his blood had poured out upon the floor and he would never wake again. 

"Jim, take a look at this," said Ortiz kneeling beside the other body in the room. The man was young with jet-black hair. There was nothing remarkable about the man except a triangular symbol tattooed on his cheek. His sightless brown eyes starred upward courtesy of a six-inch slit across his throat. 

"He's their hacker," stated Brody pausing to take a look. "They tattoo their cheek so that everyone will know not to touch them above the waist. I guess the captain decided he would rather have him dead than risk letting such a valuable commodity fall into our hands."

"But he's a human being not a commodity."

"Not to the slavers he's not. Doesn't much matter now. We can't help him anymore."

"Lieutenant, all of the slaves and prisoners have been transported," came the report across the radio.

"Good, let's get out of here." The seaman picked up Seaman Jacobson's body and carried him from the room. They quickly and quietly made their way back up the stairs to the waiting launches. The remaining men crammed into the packed launches. They released the lock and the ship was left to drift empty. 

"Welcome aboard SeaQuest," greeted Captain Bridger to the ragged group of men, women, and children that were taking their first gulps of free air. "We'll get you some clothes and some food right away. If anyone needs medical attention, we have several medics waiting to take care of you."

"Let me take a look at that wound," ordered Dr. Wendy moving among the men. "Ortiz, that will have to be looked at."

"Yes, ma'am." Brody stood talking to Chief Crocker while Krieg was flirting with a woman who might be attractive after a bath and some food. He looked across the ordered chaos to meet eyes with Tim who was translating the Captain's greeting in a dozen languages. He saw in Tim's eyes that Tim knew how close he had come to death today. A slight smile and a shake of his head conveyed all the thoughts that a thousand words could not have expressed. It may have been a close call but he had lived and he would fight again. They would fight again. 

"Good job," praised Captain Bridger. All of the men smiled tiredly, glad for it to be over. One man did not smile. He would never smile again.

Seaman Jacobson was the first death but he would not be the last.


	4. Chapter Three

The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. The future that we saw in Seaquest does not exist. In this universe, the Seaquest is a war vessel. Her crew contains familiar names and faces but they are changed and hardened from the years of war. While everything else has changed, she is still the world's greatest hope for peace. 

                                                                        ***********

She glided through the water leaving a wake of thousands of tiny bubbles. Twisting she danced back through them tightening her grip on the controls when the current tried to throw her. Laughing, she slowed down her fighter and brought it down to hover behind a rock formation. She waited eagerly for the signal to attack. This was her chance to show them what she was made of. This was her opportunity to shine. 

"Ensign Henderson, are you in position?"

"Yes, Captain," she replied with a slight quiver of excitement in her voice.

"Lieutenant Brody, are you in position?"

"Yes, sir."

"On my signal. Wait. Wait. Now!"

She pulled up the grid of the area on her screen searching for her target. The presence of several rock formations like the one she herself was hiding behind made finding the lurking fighter difficult. Flipping over for infrared, she caught a glimpse of her prey before it vanished. She would have to play this carefully or she would end up being the hunted. 

"Find me. Come on. You know I'm out here. Come and get me!" came the voice over her radio. 

The bright red outline of the fighter flashed onto her screen and she launched herself from behind her hiding place to give chase. She fell in behind him trying to get a lock on the target. They were gaining elevation as they continued zigzagging after each other. She almost had him. She closed the distance some more. Just a little bit closer and she would have him. Almost. Almost. Green! She had a lock! Hold it. No! The pilot dropped five hundred feet spinning out of her sights before the missals had a chance to clear. 

"Missed me."

Spinning to chase, she deepened the attack. She would not miss again. Dodging, she narrowly missed ramming into one of the rock faces that littered the battlefield. Cursing, she twisted again losing sight of the illusive fighter. Where did he go? Dropping lower, she frantically searched her screens for the signal. He was not there. How could a fighter just vanish? The Seaquest! She was the only thing out here that was big enough and hot enough to mask his presence. The fighter must be just on the other side of her. With a burst of speed, she headed back toward the boat. She circled the Seaquest confident that she would find the fighter on the other side. Another half meter and she would have a clear view. There he is! She found him! For the briefest of seconds, she forgot that if she could see him then chances were he could see her. By the time, she remembered it was too late and he had already gotten a lock on her. Lonnie Henderson was dead.

                                                                        ************

"Boy! Get over here."  The boy jumped up from where he had been crouching in the corner. "There's a ship out there. Keep them from finding us."

The boy nodded, shoving matted hair back from in front of his face. Fingers flying across the keyboard, he let himself relax into the machine. Computers he could understand and command. People were confusing creatures that often argued amongst themselves. They could be very unpredictable and when it was his duty to jump to their orders this fact was very frightening. 

He slipped into their system hiding behind a relay of signals coming from the mainland. Whoever this ship was, they sure had an active communications system. Well, it certainly made his job easier. Opening a separate window, he typed the lines of code that would render his boat invisible. Once introduced to the other ship's system, all he had to do was make a few adjustments and activate the program. The program would then cause the sensors on the ship to react to the signals his boat was sending as if there was nothing there. In short, other than physically seeing them the ship would have no means of detecting their presence. 

Shifting over, he keyed another program that would decipher the access codes for the mainframe. Feeding it into their system, he waited for a few seconds as the numbers flashed variables. When they flashed a serial number in green, he typed the code at the appropriate point. Bingo. He fortified his connection then began uploading his program. He checked the program again making sure that it was one hundred percent compatible to this system. Once he was completely satisfied with the program, he keyed the command to run it. He pulled up the readings from the sensors and compared them to the previous readings finding enough of a difference to indicate that the program was a success. The Captain should be pleased. Maybe he would even allow him some free time on the internet as a reward.

"Ensign Henderson! Just what did you think you were doing out there?" demanded Lt. Brody as he climbed out of his fighter pilot. 

"I'm sorry, sir," she answered quietly.

"Sorry does not cut it. If that had been a real fight instead of a practice run, you would have been dead. There are no second chances. There is no sorry. Out there in battle you either survive or you don't. You're either an asset or you're not. Right now you're a dead liability."

"You've made your point, Lieutenant," stated Lt. Commander Hitchcock. Katie looked at the young ensign who was currently fighting tears and wondered how anyone could have thought that she had been for this kind of duty. You just did not put a rookie into a kill-or-be-killed situation without letting her have a few milk runs first. "Why don't you get cleaned up then spend the afternoon going over the tapes?"

"That sounds good. You'll be needing the fighters for your group anyway." Brody did not hold any resentment over the admonishment in front of his student. He knew that her mistakes were normal for a pilot of her experience but he saw no reason to sugar coat the danger that she would be in each and every time she flew into combat. 

"Make sure you spend an equal amount of time on the things that she did right," said Katie quietly. "We need her confident enough to trust her instincts."

"I was planning on it. I have done this before it's just there's so much at stake out there…"

"I know," she replied watching her men enter the bay. "Well, I've got to get busy. See you at dinner."

"Good luck." 

"All right, men," she said marching up to the group. "This is How Not to Get Yourself Killed in a Fighter Craft 101. If you do not want to be a fighter pilot, tough. Each of you was chosen because you have excellent vision, coordination, and reflex times. All of these are attributes that a pilot must possess. Once trained, you are going to be the much needed reserves for our current pilots. We are going to start with the basics and work our way up until you are flying mock battles. This is not going to be a fast process. It is going to be your responsibility to practice and keep up with the rest of your group. Our lesson today is going to begin with the cockpit. Everyone gather where you can see."

                                                                        *********

"It worked," said the pot-belled Captain as the ship sailed right over them without noticing a thing. The boy let out a mental sigh of relief at this statement. No matter how certain he was that a program would work there was always the possibility that something would go wrong. He had the bruises to prove it, too.

"Told you buying that boy would pay off," gloated the weasel-like first mate. 

"That you did, Carmen. Where is the brat?"

"Here," answered another one of the men, grabbing the boy by the collar and shoving him towards the center of the room. The boy stumbled catching himself before he fell to the floor. He trembled as the Captain glared at him. In a corner of his mind that was not frozen with fear, he wondered what he could have possibly done to make them angry.

"Dirty, little runt, isn't he?" asked the Captain to no one in particular. "Take him somewhere. We won't be needing him for a while," he said with a wave of his hand. The boy looked quickly towards the floor so that no one would see the relief that flashed through his brilliant blue eyes.  "Oh, and feed him," added the Captain as an afterthought. 

"Let's go," ordered yet another of the nameless sailors pushing the boy towards the door. The boy scurried forward trying to avoid contact with the sailor. The corridor was narrow and dark. The boat was old enough that sections of the lighting no longer worked. Most everything else about the boat seemed to be in working order. The boy halted in front of his cell while the sailor unlocked the door. 

In other circumstances, the room could have been nice living quarters for some sailor but instead it housed him. The only source of light in the room came from cracks around the door. The fact that there was light at all was not too much of a comfort because it meant there was nothing to keep water from rushing into the room if there was a breach. A bucket and a soiled rag occupied one corner of the room fulfilling his needs for a bathroom. The opposite corner housed a mound of blankets and rags that served as a bed. It was situated as far from the over powering stench that permeated from the bucket as possible but it was not far enough to diminish the smell. He spent as much time as possible burying his face in the sweat soaked rags preferring the body odor to the other smell. All in all it was a miserable existence and he longed to be sold back to his previous owner. Suddenly, he was blinded by light entering the room. 

"Grub," said a sailor through the open door. He left a bowl inside then shut the door again. The boy crept across the floor feeling along for the bowl. The mush inside the bowl felt like it might be rice and some kind of stew or sauce. He scooped it into his mouth with his fingers not minding that the rice was only partially cooked and that any meat was probably half rotten. Having a full belly made him drowsy and he was soon curled up amongst the rags fast asleep.

                                                                        *********

"This dial here is the fuel gage. Always check it before you leave the boat. If you run out of fuel in the middle of a fight you're a sitting duck. It's a simple mistake that you can never afford to make. This dial marks the elevation. Remember that this is not a plane so please try to keep it in the water. On a similar note, please do not crash into the ocean floor or anything else out there for that matter. I think that's enough for today. Does anyone have any questions?" asked Katie.

"When do we get to take one of these babies out for a spin?" asked one of the crewmen. 

"Mr. Piccolo right? Well, I'll let you pilot one as soon as I feel confident that you can make it out of the launch without breaking anything."

"Any other questions? No? Ok, everyone needs to pick up a manual. You will be responsible for knowing everything we covered here today as well as any material in the first chapter.  You will be tested on the information. We meet again the day after tomorrow. Class is dismissed."  Each of the men filed forward to pick up their manual. She locked down the fighter craft and picked up her belongings. The bay was silent as she turned around to leave. She was startled to see one of the men waiting for her by the door.

"Ma'am, could I speak to you for a minute?" he asked.

"Of course, Mr. Piccolo," she replied identifying the seaman, as she got closer. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, um, see, I'm kinda going to have a problem finishing my assignment."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Piccolo, but you're are going to have to find time to do the reading."

"Time's not the problem."

"Mr. Piccolo…"

"Tony," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"My name's Tony. All of this mister stuff keeps making me nervous. I'm not used to it."

"Ok. Since we are in private, I'll call you Tony. Now, Tony, explain to me what your problem is," she ordered smiling at him kindly.

"Well, ma'am, I can't read the manual."

"I told you that you're just going to have to find time to read it."

"No, you don't understand. I can't read the manual because I can't read."

"You can't read? But you're in the navy."

"Wasn't my choice to join but I'm an X-alpha. I'm not stupid enough to tell the government 'no' when they order me to do something."

"I see," she said frowning slightly. "Well, we're going to have to do something about that but we need you learning the information in the manual now. What time does your shift end today?"

"Twenty hundred."

"Perfect. I'll meet you at Twenty one hundred at the moonpool. Bring your manual and we'll go over the material together. Right now we'll concentrate on teaching you to be a fighter pilot. I don't want to overload you."

"What about reading?"

"Right now the important thing is not letting you fall behind your group but I promise you that I will help you learn how to read. It just might take a little while. Is that fair?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, ma'am."

"Katie."

"What?"

"My name."

"Oh," he said smiling. "Thanks, Katie."

"Your welcome, Tony. See you tonight." They were both smiling as they left the bay.

                                                                        ********

The boy jerked upright as the door to his cell was slammed open. He had no idea how long he had been asleep. He stood stretching as he walked towards the door. 

"Hurry up! We got a job for you," ordered the man hurrying the boy into the corridor. 

"This meet is going to be the biggest in years. We have to go if we're going to stay in the trade." The men were arguing with the Captain as the boy was ushered into the room.

"I am not going to risk being captured. Seaquest has been spotted in that quadrant recently. No way. I'm not going to become that boat's prey."

"Use the kid. He can hide the meet. Send them off on some wild goose chase."

"Boy, you do that," ordered the Captain. The boy nodded not sure exactly what he was agreeing to do. He sat at the computer and pulled up the name Seaquest. A short description popped up of the magnificent submarine.

"Someone's going to have to do something about that ship one day. It's becoming way too troublesome. Who do they think they are running around taking over trade ships and freeing our cargo?" 

The war ship was freeing slaves? The boy's fingers flew across the keyboard bringing up programs and breaking down codes until he was nibbling at the Seaquest's systems. Glancing behind him, he pulled up the ship's navigation system tracking where they were at and where they were headed. He nibbled his lip considering their course noticing that they were moving away from the location of the meet. In that instant he made a decision, he could not let the ship leave. He began keying a program that would feed the Seaquest the information they needed to bust the meet. The program would probably cost him his life when they realized what he had done but it was worth it if it gave the thousand or so slaves that were up for sale at the meet a chance to be free. 

"Seaquest," he mouthed reveling in the feel of the word on his lips. With a push of a button, he activated the program. 

                                                                        ********

"Captain, we're receiving a signal."

"Pull it up, Lieutenant."

"Sir, it's coming from inside the boat."

"What does it say?"

"S.O.S" O'Neill twisted back in his seat to exchange confused glances with his commanding officer. What could that mean?


	5. Chapter Four

The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. The future that we saw in Seaquest does not exist. In this universe, the Seaquest is a war vessel. Her crew contains familiar names and faces but they are changed and hardened from the years of war. While everything else has changed, she is still the world's greatest hope for peace. 

"Captain, we're receiving a signal."

"Pull it up, Lieutenant."

"Sir, it is coming from inside the boat."

"What does it say?"

"S.O.S" O'Neill twisted back in his seat to exchange confused glances with his commanding officer. 

"Page Commander Hitchcock. Tell her that we need her on the immediately."

"Yes, sir." 

Bridger paced thinking over the strange signal. There were several possibilities that he could think of to explain the problem. It might be one of his men, one of the computer technicians perhaps, playing a prank. If it was he would have them doing time in the brig before the end of the day. The other alternative was that it was coming from outside of the boat. This required a hacker and complicated the situation. 'S.O.S.' normally indicated a plea for help but given the suspected source it could easily be the first signs of a virus. Why would a hacker be coming to Seaquest for help? If someone was in trouble why didn't they contact them the normal way? The appearance of Lt. Commander Hitchcock interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah, Commander, we have a slight situation that we need your opinion on," he said coming to stand before his chair. 

"Certainly, sir." Bridger nodded at Mr. O'Neill.

"Ten minutes ago, I detected this signal. Upon further investigation I determined that the message read: S.O.S. and that the signal was coming from inside the boat."

"We need you to find the source of that signal."

"Yes, sir," she replied sitting down at her console. She keyed in her access codes then opened the folder into the communications system. Picking up with the signal she began the tedious task of tracing it back to its origin. It was this task that separated her from the hackers. There was no thrill of the chase for her. There were no intuitive leaps of logic that made the computer nothing more than an extension of her body and mind. She was simply following set paths that would lead her to the answer. She was better than most computer specialists. She could find the right path and get to the end faster than the computer could find her and faster than some hackers could track her. This was quite a feat for someone depending on linear logic in a far from linear world but even for all of that she would never be great. She occasionally found herself resenting hackers because a part of her would always envy them and the ease at which they did such impossible things. 

She followed the path of the signal peeling back layers of programming and memory until she reached the mainframe. There nestled in the corner was her treasure. The tracer delved into the treasure revealing it to be some kind of data file.

"Captain, I found it. It's a," She stopped mid-sentence staring at the screen in amazement.

"Commander, what have you found?" he said coming to stand behind her. He looked at the information on the screen trying to force the rows of numbers to form into something he could recognize.

"He didn't! He couldn't have! But he did!" She was nearly incoherent.

"Commander, explain yourself." She visibly pulled herself together pausing a moment to make sure she was composed.

"See this right here?" she asked pointing to a spot on the screen. "This is where the signal is coming from. It appears to be some kind of data file attached to the program that sent the signal. But this, sir, this is astounding," she continued, her voice leaking excitement. "The hacker left a trail. He put up flags marking the holes he found or made to get into the system. He's showing us how he got in, sir."

"And that means?"

"Sir, hackers don't do this. You couldn't pay a hacker to give away his secrets but this one just did. Why would he do something like this? Sir, we need to get the programmers up here to take a look at this. Now that we know where the holes are we can go in and plug them."

"That's all find and dandy, Commander, but what about the file and the signal."

"Well, sir, we can either open it or simply remove it."

"Open it."

"It's not quite that simple, sir. I'm going to have to transfer it to a closed system and scan it for viruses before I can open it."

"Why a closed system?"

"Because if the scan misses and viruses we do not want to infect the entire ship. This guy is a master. He did everything and put up flags without ever setting of an alarm. He could easily create his own virus."

"And how long will all of this take you?"

"I should be able to have it done within the hour if I can take it to my quarters to work on."

"You have half an hour."

"Yes, sir." She initiated the transfer of the file to her personal computer. All of the computers on the boat belonged to a single network but it was a simple procedure to disconnect the connection. When the transfer was complete, she hurried to her quarters leaving her console open for the technicians to use. She hoped that Lonnie would still be going over films with Brody so that she could have the room to herself while she worked. 

She unplugged her computer from all outlets. Then she went into the programs and edited her network protocol. Now her computer was a protected island that any viruses would be unable to escape from. She began the scan waiting patiently for it to go through each cluster in the file. Clear. Slightly reassured, she began to pick apart the program. Ten minutes later, she had each layer's purpose accounted for. There were no viruses in the program. She decided to save it for the Captain to decide before she deleted it. 

The file was a more complicated issue. She could not examine the contents without opening the file and opening the file would release any viruses. Holding her breath, she decided to go for it and opened the file. Word programs began opening displaying the contents of the file. Gasping, she let out her breath gaping at what lay before her. Scrolling through the file, she picked up her PAL and contacted the Captain.

"Sir, this is Hitchcock. I think you need to come down to my quarters to see this."

[Scene change]

"I think we should sell the kid."

"First you beg me to buy him now you want me to sell him?"

"The price was too good not to buy him."

"Ten thousand credits is not cheap."

"We can sell him for ten times that. He's got papers. Certified breeding. Mensa certification. The works. We can make a killing off of him."

"And what about the next time we need a hacker."

"We can pick up another one at the meet. We just need someone who can break codes or hide us when necessary. That's child's play to someone like the one we've got. It's like buying a sports car when what you really need is a station wagon."

"All right, you've convinced me. The boy's on the market."

And so the boy found him being led off of the boat instead of being locked into his cell the night they reached port. He shivered as the cold winter wind hit his bare flesh. He wrapped his arms across his chest digging his fingers into the ridges in between his ribs. He gazed up at the brilliant night sky grateful for the rare moment of beauty. 

"You'd think you were a half-wit instead of a genius always staring off into space and drooling," growled one of the traders giving the boy a push. Admonished he turned his gaze to his feet and hurried along with the men. The inn that they were staying in was a tiny affair and the staff wrinkled their noses at the sight of the group. Many frowned upon the traders but no one would say anything or betray the group because they needed the business and did not want to risk becoming slaves themselves.

"Amos, Derrick, grab an extra outfit then take the boy back down to the bay and clean him up."

"Yes, sir," they answered groaning to themselves. The boy sank down in the corner trying to stay out of sight. One of them moved towards him glaring. The boy choked down a squeal as the man bent down and tossed him over his shoulder. Squirming, he was carried out of the room like a sack of potatoes or like an unwanted puppy on its way to be drowned. 

The man laid him down on the edge of the dock the restrained him as the other man cut off his pants. The boy went limp knowing that it would be impossible to fight off both of them. He whimpered slightly, clinching his eyes shut. They opened again in surprise as he was picked up again and unceremoniously tossed into the water. Gasping, he flailed around for a moment before his feet found hold and he was able to stand up in the waist deep water. 

Grabbing his arm, one of the men hauled him forward to shallower water. They held him tight as they began to scrub his body with scouring pads. A meaty palm covered his mouth when he cried out. He wiggled trying to avoid the pads that were rubbing his skin raw. At last they decided he was clean enough and he was dunked in the water one last time. His limbs were shaking from the freezing water and the frigid air. His dropping body temperature made his thoughts fuzzy and fatigued and he was unable to control his limbs well enough to dress himself. The men stuffed him into clothes that were meant for a large grown man and not this little waif-like child then carried him back up to the inn. Huddled on the floor in the corner, he tried to ignore the rowdy men long enough to go to sleep. Shivering, his last thought before sleep claimed him was that the meet was tomorrow.

[Scene Change]

Katie looked around the wardroom meeting the curious gazes of her fellow officers. Unlike them, she knew exactly why everyone had been called to this meeting. Tim glanced at her again suspecting that this meeting was directly related to the signal they received earlier. Lonnie and Jim were sitting side-by-side chatting amicably so apparently they had settled any problems from this morning. This morning! Tony! She had forgotten all about her meeting with him. She hoped that he would not be mad. She would have to find some time to make it up with him after this whole mess was straightened out. 

"Gentlemen," began Nathan as he entered the room. "I'm sure most of you are wondering why you are here. You are here because we have a very important decision to make. We received a signal this afternoon that was actually a program implanted in our computers by a hacker. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that there was a file attached to this program. Once opened, it displayed documents detailing a slavers meet to take place tomorrow off the coast of New Hampshire. Here are folders containing the documents. As you can see there are maps of the area, a schedule of events, even a likely list of attendees for the meet. Now we have to decide what we are going to do with the documents." He looked each of them in the eye. "The lives of thousands could depend on our decision."

"So let's go in there and free all of the slaves," said Ben. "We can't just leave them there."

"What proof do we have that this isn't a trap?" demanded Brody. 

"The hacker left a trail so that we would be able to find the holes he used to get into the system and plug the holes. It was a gesture that could only have been made to prove his sincerity and need."

"Could he have done that to give us a false sense of security?" asked Miguel. 

"Un-uh. This is a hacker we're talking about. Even a slave couldn't be forced into revealing his secrets."

"So we have to assume that the documents are real," stated Tim. "That established, I do not see how we can say no to this mission. We have a chance to free close to a thousand slaves not to mention giving the market a wounding blow. This is not something that we can afford to throw away. At the same time this is not something we can rush into and expect to live. We have to come up with a plan."

"Well said," replied Nathan. 

"Look," stated Jonathan focusing on the map. "If we place a team here and another team here, they'll be able to provide back up to the men in the arena."

"Do we want to hit them while the meet's going on?"

"There'll be less risk of someone coming up on us from behind that way. Besides we don't want any of them to escape."

"Krieg and I can provide backup while you storm the arena," offered Miguel.

"I'd prefer it if we took three teams in and had two teams for back up."

"We can have security form two teams then fill out our squads with men out of the crew."

"How far away are we?" 

"Eight hours."

"We should hit them after lunch. That's when they'll be the most relaxed. We'll leave Seaquest down the coast far enough that she won't be spotted then take the launches inland. They are more likely to be overlooked by the security. If we put two men to each door, we'll have them surrounded."

"Is everyone in agreement?" asked the Captain. Everyone agreed with the plan of action then the real planning got under way.

[Scene Change]

The boy was awakened early that morning by one of the men nudging him in the foot. "Wake up," grunted the man. He was ushered outside where the rest of the group stood lurking in the pre-dawn shadows. The boy curled his hands up inside the long sleeves wistfully wishing that he could have seen the sun one last time. 

The arena was already well lit shining like a beacon in the darkness. It was not a particularly large structure but it would more than house the meet. He could see traders ahead of him unloading their cargo. One man had a line of men that were shackled together by iron chains linked around their waists. Each of the men had a neck that was bigger around that the boy's waist. The boy decided that he would not like to be that trader if those men ever broke free.

The area around the outside of the arena was bustling with activity as townsmen came to barter their wares. Delicious smells wafted through the air making the boy's tummy rumble. It would have been nice if they remembered to feed him. Most of the slaves were taken directly to the floor housed in pens according to owner and specialty. A few traders, like his own, only had a couple of slaves with them for the meet and brought them in through the regular entrances. Across the crowd, he caught sight of another bearing The Mark. He smiled at the tired looking woman glad to see another hacker. 

He followed his owner down onto the floor of the arena. The floor was a mass of flesh and suffering. The Captain began his day with some window-shopping through the pleasure slaves. He drooled over the women who were barely dressed and the boy and girl children who danced dude but the boy was relived to find that he paid no attention to the older boys or men. The Captain did not buy any of them because they were not worth the cost or the effort that it would take to preserve them from his own men.

There were people of every age and every race for sale here. Former doctors and lawyers sat chained to former farmers and housewives. You could buy entire families or matched sets of twins and triplets. You could find children that were specifically bred for red hair and freckles. Prices depended on the market. One day the strong men could reach the highest price while the next the beautiful dancers or the French cooks would fetch the higher bid. There were a couple of offers for the boy but it was too early in the day to complete any sales. He passed another hacker nodding at the balding man in greeting. His stomach rumbled again and he wished that lunchtime would hurry up.

[Scene Change]

The men doubled checked their weapons as they prepared to exit the launches. Ortiz glanced over at his partner who was adjusting a strap on his pack. Tim smirked at him before moving to stand in line. This raid was going to have to be done textbook perfect. No one could be out of place or thousands of people could die.

To the north, Katie Hitchcock was preparing to move out with her team. As the highest-ranking officer, she should have been leading the attack but she deferred to Lt. Brody's judgment. They had exactly half an hour to get into position. Exiting the launch, they began the hike up the beach.

"Come on, men. We've got ground to cover," said Ben Krieg leading his men through the brush. Of all the teams, his had the most difficult assignment. They had already climbed through the vines and weeds and bushes for two miles and they had another mile and a half to go before they would be in position behind the arena. Sweating he signaled his men to get down as he spotted the arena up ahead. From here on in, they would have to stay low to avoid being seen.

Ortiz brought his men into the south side of the town. The scene was vastly different from the one a few hours ago. The slavers would not be leaving the arena for the duration of the meet today so the people who had been busy selling their wares in front of the arena had already packed up their stalls and headed home. It was quiet and no one took notice as the group walked the distance to the arena one by one. There were a few men on the concourse but they were quickly dealt with and restrained. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the first stage had gone so well and hoped that the other two teams were having the same luck. 

Brody punched the last man in the solar plexus and team two finished securing their position. They divided up and went to stand by their assigned gate. Now all they had to do was wait. 

Krieg wiped sweat from his face as he considered the rusting doors. He would just have to hope one of them was open because there was no other way into the arena from back here. He began going down the line trying them becoming more and more desperate. Finally the second to last one opened. A closer glance revealed that the lock had failed rather than the door having been left open. The concourse was empty as they moved into position. The last few minutes ticked by slowly. Two minutes. One minute. Thirty seconds. Ten. Three. Two. One. Thirty synchronized watches beeped as they flung open the doors.

"Freeze!" shouted Lt. Ortiz as the Seaquest team stormed the floor. For a second everything fell silent as the occupants of the floor stared at the soldiers in shock. A thin, blond boy caught Katie Hitchcock's eye as she was scanning the crowd. He smiled at her and she instinctually identified him as the hacker who left her the flags. She smiled back mouthing, "Thank you."

The moment broke as he nodded.

"You! You did this!" shouted the enraged slaver Captain pulling a gun on his former property. The boy shifted slightly so that he could meet the Captain's gaze. Katie would always wonder what the Captain read in his face in that second that would cause deadly rage to surface in the Captain's expression.

"No!" shouted Katie as two shots rang out sending the boy's small body flying. Then all hell broke loose.

TBC


	6. Chapter Five

AN: Things get a little more graphic in this section. If you can handle watching ER, you should be fine. There is one little bad word in this part. There did not seem to be any way around it given the situation. Thanks to the following people for their reviews: Gina, Cory Holmes, Sky (Wendy hasn't decided if she's psychic or not.), Psuedo (It's about time you got back to your story.), Marika (I wonder how Lucas would look flying a Gundam?), Krystalrain, Jessica, (Found Lucas yet?), Vampy, and Joxer. (Was this soon enough? And yes, I agree. The captain was a bad man.)

"No!" shouted Katie as two shots rang out sending the boy's small body flying. Then all hell broke loose.

Before the ring of gunshots had faded from the air, Tim had the over-weight man in his sights. A simple flex of his finger and the man was dead, a drop of blood oozing from the hole between his eyes. Any chance to avoid a gunfight was gone. Crouching behind a seat, he took aim taking out the next man to pull a gun. 

"Put down your guns! If you resist we will be forced to kill you," shouted Brody as he shot the gun out of a slaver's hand. The slaver stumbled back against one of his cages. Hands reached out pinning him into place against the bars. 

"Freedom!" cried one of the men throwing himself at his captor. The tall red headed slaver managed to get off a single shot before the man was on him. They wrestled on the ground providing a distraction that allowed Tim to take out two more men around them. The former slave stood victorious over the body of his former master. He turned and glared at another slaver who was guarding his property in the booth next to the man. The slaver took one look at the angry, bleeding man before him and another look at the body on the floor and raised his hands in surrender. 

"Fight!" screamed the slaves as they rushed to free their comrades. The slavers did not go down easily but more and more slaves joined the crowd. The slavers were being taken out from above and below. Staring at the advancing mob of slaves, one by one they began throwing down their weapons. The guns clattered falling in heaps and the former slaves slowed to a stop. 

"Freedom," gasped the fighters as their chest heaved from the exertion. "Freedom," laughed the former slaves eliciting smiles from the frightened children. "Freedom," cried the mothers clutching babies that they would be allowed to see grow up. "Freedom," thought the boy with a smile as the word penetrated the haze of pain that surrounded him. Free.

Miguel pushed his weapon back over his shoulder and began climbing down the steps to the floor. He paused, turning to meet eyes with Tim. Silently, he conveyed his need and Tim nodded agreeing to stay to provide cover should they need it. On every side, the Seaquest crew was making their way onto the floor. They moved through the crowd accepting restrained slavers into their custody. The few pockets of resistance that tried to pop up where crushed. The mission was a success. The slavers were captured and none of his men were injured.

Katie was weeping as she knelt beside the body of the young boy. She wiped the tears from her eyes preparing to pick up the body. To her surprise, the boy was still alive. "Reserve A, we need medics up here now!" ordered Katie into her PAL. The boy's eyes fluttered at the sound of her voice. She stared into them past the haze of pain that curtained them. In those eyes, she glimpsed a soul so beautiful that she knew she had to save this boy. He wheezed, coughing and pink froth appeared at his lips. She looked down at his torso paling at the blood soaking through his shirt and seeping onto the floor. One of the bullets had entered his chest puncturing his lung but the blood from that wound was mostly internal and there was nothing she could do about it. She placed her hands over the other wound in his abdomen. His blood was warm and slick between her fingers but the flow slowed as she applied pressure. 

A medic touched her shoulder causing her to jump. She moved out of his way being careful not to let up on the pressure and he surveyed the situation.  He started a saline drip noting the cold, clammy feel of the boy's skin as he did so. He was not surprised when he checked the pulse to find it rapid and weak. He inserted a tube with a one way valve into the boy's chest to drain the blood. The boy did not stand a chance but he had even less of one if they let his lung collapse.

"He won't make it back to Seaquest."

"No. Don't tell me that! He has to make it." The medic looked at Katie and at the boy who was still clinging to semi-consciousness with every ounce of his being. The medic nodded.

"Attention," he yelled. "Is there a doctor here?"

"There's a town, twenty minutes up the road. They have a small hospital."

"Brody, get us transportation. Something big enough to bring the other wounded with us." Brody nodded running outside to check. He returned moments later with some keys. 

"There's a truck waiting. You, you, and you can help transport everyone," he ordered pointed to a few crewmembers. One of the slaves brought over a flat board and they shifted the boy onto it. Two of the larger men picked it up gently walking along slowly so that Katie could keep pressure on the boy's wounds.

"Fight," she whispered to him, kneeling in the back of the truck. "You have to live. You saved all of those people. It's because of you they are free. You have to live so you can enjoy your freedom, too."

The ride to the next town was a nerve-wracking one. Every bump in the road caused the wounded to groan with pain. The back of the truck was packed. There was no room to move almost no room to breathe. As the truck rolled into town, Brody spotted the hospital. It looked like it had once been a big place but only the first floor had lights on inside. He jumped out of the truck motioning to the three crewmembers to follow him. He was in unknown territory and he did not want to take any chances. He kicked open the doors storming the room with guns lowered. Screams and frightened faces greeted his entrance.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded a woman moving into the center of the room. The red head put her hands on her hips and glared at the armed men. "This is a hospital!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," began Brody backing away from her. "We just came from hostile territory and we weren't sure what we would find here."

"You found a hospital. Now get out."

"I'm sorry but we have wounded out in the truck. Some of them are hurt pretty bad."

"So you're going to let them die while you run around waving guns?" She pushed past them on her way out the door. She climbed into the truck giving a quick glance around at the injuries. "This one first," she said pointed to the boy in the back. "These two next. The rest of you can come in and wait until someone's available to see you." Two orderlies picked up the boy's makeshift stretcher and followed the petite doctor.

"I need him started on two pints of blood. O negative. Lisa, get me a scan of his chest. Margaret, prep the OR. Pete and Ann can you get started on the two gentlemen over there." The room was filled with ordered chaos as everyone leapt to her command. "You, stay where you are at," she told Katie. The doctor took a syringe and injected medication into the IV. She slipped a tube down his throat and hooked it to a respirator then clipped a monitor to his finger. Hopefully, the drug would not depress his system too much. She hesitated to give him anything but she could not have him conscious during the surgery. She took a pair of scissors and began cutting the clothes off of the boy. She tucked his hair under a cap and began spraying him down with disinfectant wound cleaner. She had to get him as clean as possible before she took him into surgery.

"Kristin, here's the scan. It's not good."

"Damn, the bullet's in his heart. I was hoping that this injury could wait until I closed the other wound. I'm going to need more help. Pete, feel up to surgery? Good. Cass, come take over for this girl. What is your name?"

"Katie Hitchcock."

"Katie, see that door over there? Go in there and wash up. You'll need to put on a pair of scrubs."

"Why?"

"You're going into surgery with us." Katie blinked wondering what on earth she was going to do in the operating room. She followed her orders though and went to wash up.

"Pete, take him on in and get started. I'll be in as soon as I've changed." She watched as the boy was wheeled into the OR. She followed the soldier into the prep room.

"Is he going to live?" asked Katie a bit anxiously.

"We're going to do everything in our power to make sure he lives. That boy's been neglected and abused. What's his story?"

"He was a slave. A hacker," answered Katie indicating her cheek. "He slipped us information about a big meet between the slavers. His owner shot him when we busted the meet."

"Poor child. We'll just make sure he hangs around to enjoy his freedom." Kristen led the way into the OR. "Stand here out of the way. I'll tell you when I need you." 

Katie nodded. She could do nothing but watch as the doctor cut open the boy's chest. She used a saw to split his sternum then pulled the ribs back to reveal his beating heart. A nurse suctioned out the pooling blood then Kristin's work really began. Gently, the moved the soft lung tissue until she found the tear. The pink lungs gently flared with each breath the boy took. She stitched the wound shut quickly and efficiently. Katie glanced down at the other doctor and saw that the man had already removed the bullet. He was rapidly stitching away at something she could not see. She was mesmerized by the process by which they both worked. The man finished his stitching and lifted the boy's intestines from his abdomen. Carefully, he unraveled section by section checking it over for any tears in the membranes. He glanced up and noticed her watching him.

"When I let it go it'll pop back into place," he said letting go of a small section to demonstrate. The mass jiggled and she felt herself turning a bit green.

"Alright, Katie, this is what I need you to do," said Kristin finishing with the lung. "The bullet has to come out now but with the size of the hole it will leave his heart will stop beating before I can repair it. I need you to plug the hole. When I pull out the bullet, stick your finger in the hole."

"My what?"

"Your finger. Ready? 1-2-3 Now!" Katie did not have time to think. She just blindly jabbed her finger at the hole. Her eyes widened in amazement as the heart contracted around her finger. It was the most amazing thing she had ever felt. Here was this boy and his heart was beating around her finger. Kristin began placing tiny sutures around Katie's finger. Katie held herself completely still while she worked. Time passed and Katie felt herself growing tired and knew the two doctors much be exhausted. More time passed and the man, Pete, finished and began closing up the boy's open abdomen. Still more time left and Kristin was left alone stitching with the utmost care and precision. Katie's neck and back were cramped from the tension and her feet ached. Her arm felt like it weight a hundred pounds from spending so many hours holding her finger still. 

"Almost done," said Kristin her voice laced with fatigue. "I'm going to count to three and I need you to pull your finger out. 1-2-3." Katie removed her finger and Kristin pulled the ends of her thread so that the wound closed behind the finger as it left. Katie sagged back leaning up against the wall. She was completely drained. Kristin inserted a drainage tube then closed up the chest. When the boy was finally wheeled into recovery, it was well into the night. 

"So how did things end up?" asked Katie as she and Brody sat down with a cup of coffee. 

"The SeaQuest arrived about an hour after we left. There were one hundred and twenty slavers in total. Twenty-four of them were killed in the raid along with another twenty of their crew members. We now have close to five hundred people in custody. We're staying here in port until headquarters can send out a police ship to collect them. They're still tallying all of the slaves that were freed. Five of them were killed, six if the boy dies. Twenty-two injured but most were minor injuries. The slavers ships have been seized and once they are inventoried the Captain will probably give them to the slaves. Once they've been tallied they're free to go but most of them are sticking around for a while. We'll be taking some of them down the coast with us. There are places in New Haven and the Carolinas that are dedicated to helping freed men get set up. The children will be placed into the care of the government in Washington."

"What about the boy?"

"He's a child. He'll go with the children," Brody shrugged indicating that it did not matter to him where the boy ended up. 

"Excuse me," said Katie standing. "I think I am going to go check on him." She walked down the hall towards the room where the boy had been moved. He was deathly white nestled among equally white sheets. There was the soft mechanical sound as the machines pumped air into his lungs. She had been frightened to learn that he had stopped breathing on his own but that doctor, Kristin, had assured her that it was just because his body was so exhausted. He was letting the machines take over while his body rested. The beep of the heart monitor was a more reassuring sign that he was still in there fighting. 

"You're going to get better and you're going to run and jump and play," she told him quietly. "You'll even get your own computer so you can hack to your heart's content." She sighed brushing a strand of hair from his face. "You need a hair cut. Jim just told me that you'll be going into government care. I don't want that for you. You deserve to really be free. Most of those government hackers do not have real rights. They are guarded every moment of the day 'for their protection' but it's funny how it also keeps them around to obey the government's orders and do the government's dirty work. It's not that I don't love my country. I understand why they do it the way they do. Hackers are too valuable to take chances with. I just wish you could have something different. Maybe if I speak to the Captain he can do something." A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey," whispered Miguel poking his head into the room. "How is he doing?"

"He's holding his own. The doctor says he has a good chance especially if he makes it through tonight."

"I'm glad. A lot of people would like to thank him." He shifted in place glancing down at the floor. "Look, I can't really stay. Here," he said handing her a folder. "Tim said you should see this but he's busy translating and can't bring it himself."

"Thanks, Miguel," she said as he backed out the door. Curious, she opened the folder. Clipped to the inside was a couple of photographs. The first was of a laughing little boy with white blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. He looked to be between two and three years old. The second was the same boy several years older. In this picture, he was staring straight out in front of him. He was easily recognizable as a younger version of the boy next to her. She glanced under the photos to read his name: Lucas Wolenzcak. 

"Lucas," she murmured to the boy beside her. "Your name is Lucas."


	7. Chapter Six

AN: I am not going to be having as much time to spend writing so parts may take longer to come out. 

"How is he?" asked Jonathan as he sat beside Katie on the beach watching the sunset.

"He's doing better. Kristin had him up and walking today." She laughed and shook her head. "Boy is she something else. I've never seen any doctor so protective and territorial with a patient before. I sure am glad that she's not my doctor."

"Is he talking yet?"

"Nope. Not a word. I see him watching people sometimes and I wish he would show us a little of what goes on inside his head. He's smart. Man, is he smart. We've been testing him with different things. Math, basic history facts, grammar. He did not score too high the first time, which confirms our guess that he was never given much of an education. He could only do the math up through basic algebra but we sat down and worked with him for a bit and now he's doing calculus. Cass is even bringing him some of her old math textbooks from college. He's been pouring over the other books too but he doesn't enjoy them as much as the math. It's like he's a sponge soaking up all of this information. We spent four years taking math courses in high school and he learned all of that in three days. Imagine what he could do if he'd been exposed to this his whole life." 

Katie's face glowed as she spoke about Lucas. A stranger would have thought that he was her own son the way she talked. Jonathan did not mind though. He had seen the boy's doctor talking the same way. Everyone who came in contact with the boy seemed to adopt him. Even Lt. Brody made frequent trips to the hospital to check on him. He liked the boy well enough himself. Children made him uncomfortable and this one was even more unpredictable than most so for now Jonathan was keeping his distance. 

When Lucas had woken up four days ago, Katie had been waiting by his side to greet him. Her delight turned to concern when he refused to answer her questions. He would nod yes or no but he would not talk. All consequent efforts to get him to communicate failed. Kristin hypothesized that maybe Lucas was not comfortable enough to talk yet. He had been through a pretty traumatic time after all. Another possibility was that Lucas had been taught very early on that he was not supposed to speak no matter what. Either way, Lucas would need a lot of love and support before he would begin to talk. Katie was worried that he might never receive this love and support if he was placed into government care. She just did not know what she could do to stop that from happening.

"Stop worrying about him," ordered Jonathan kissing her gently. "Everything will work out just fine. Now, let's enjoy our time alone."

[Scene Change]

Name: Lucas Alexander Wolenczak

DOB:  03/15/04

Father: Lawrence Wolenczak

Mother: Cynthia Holt

Member of Mensa (05/23/10), IQ: 230+

Record of Sales

6/09/06   Seller: Cynthia Holt                Buyer: ID#234903ADHG

11/30/08 Seller: ID#234903ADHG                  Buyer: ID#567435IYRB

05/30/10 Seller: ID#567435IYRB                    Buyer: Hackers Guild Code 495X

10/01/11 Seller: Hackers Guild Code 981G      Buyer: ID#385432RWLO

02/24/15 Seller: ID#385432RWLO                 Buyer: ID#928450PIWJ

08/19/16 Seller: ID#928450PIWJ                    Buyer: ID#472660DKIT

08/23/16 Seller: ID#472660DKIT                    Buyer: ID#827473GLOF

12/29/17 Seller: ID#827473GLOF                   Buyer: ID#435092YVKX

Lucas stared at the sheets of paper in his hands. These few sheets of paper contained his whole life's story. These were details that even he did not know. He had a name now. Fourteen years gone by without ever knowing his name. The closest he had ever come to a name before was the time his owner made him use the code name Frankenstein. The things that this file contained were mind-boggling. Stuffed in the back, there was even a letter written by his mother detailing the events surrounding his conception. Some mother she was. Sold her own son into slavery. 

According to the note, Cynthia Holt had been one of Lawrence Wolenczak's lab assistants. She was impressed with his intelligence and more importantly with his money. He was apparently fairly big in the scientific community if a little shy on morals. Cynthia Holt eventually became Mr. Wolenczak's lover hoping that he would marry her but he obstinately refused to consider marriage an option. Seeking to force him into the marriage, she stopped taking her birth control and became pregnant. Mr. Wolenczak wanted nothing to do with the child and offered Ms. Holt a substantial amount of money to abort the baby. She had the baby anyway (but most likely pocketed the abortion money) and tried once more to force him to marry her. She was again denied but he did make payments to her for keeping the baby's parentage quiet. When the payments stopped coming, she no longer had use for the two year old and sold him. 

When he was little, he used to dream about his parents. He dreamed they were crying for him and searching for him. For a long time, he truly believed that he had been kidnapped and one day his parents would find him and rescue him. He dreamed they would take him away and love him and play with him and sooth away the nightmares. He stopped hoping for a miraculous rescue years ago but the dream that he had loving parents out there somewhere never quite faded. It was gone now. Dried up by the truth. It was a stupid dream anyway. Why should anyone want him? He was dirty and scrawny and always got in the way. The only thing worth liking about him was the tattoo on his cheek. His finger came up to brush against the mark and came away wet. 'Hmm, I must have gotten something in my eye,' he thought as he sniffled reaching up to wipe away a few more stray tears.

'That poor child,' thought Kristin watching him through the doorway. She longed hug him and tell him that everything will be all right but she knew that was more likely to frighten him. He was going to need a lot of love and support to help him heal. One person would never been enough. She wondered if a ship full would even be enough. 

"Do you think he'll like it?"

"Of course, he will."

Kristin looked up to see the two officers from Seaquest round the corner. The dark one was Miguel. The other one was…Tom? No, that was not right. Tim. She glanced down at their intertwined hands and smiled. Why was it that the good-looking men were always taken? They still had not noticed her so she cleared her throat. They jumped separating about a foot. 

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Are you here to see Lucas?"

"Yes, ma'am," answered Tim blushing slightly in embarrassment. 

"Lucas, you have visitors," she announced into the other room being careful not to let him know she had been watching him. "Give him a few minutes to get settled before you go in," she whispered to the pair leaving them to their visit.

"Hey, Lucas," greeted Miguel. Lucas smiled shyly at the duo.

"I brought you something," said Tim placing a checkered wooden box in Lucas's lap. Lucas opened it finding delicately carved figures inside the box. He picked up one that looked like a horse. "It's a chess set. That's a knight. Here, we'll show you how to play."

They set up the pieces explaining the purpose and positioning of each one. Tim laid out a few scenarios then demonstrated strategies for dealing with them. He detailed the weaknesses and strengths of each choice. It was obvious to Lucas that chess was something that Tim really enjoyed. Lucas did not really understand why Tim seemed so eager for Lucas to enjoy the game. Shrugging, he watched Miguel and Tim play a game explaining all of their moves. When Kristin returned an hour later, she found Lucas giggling.

"Woe is me. I have been killed," cried Miguel flopping onto the foot of the bed. 

"I'd better hurry up and play you to defend his honor before he starts trying to make me play the damsel in distress."

"That will have to wait a few minutes. Right now the Chess Master needs to take his medication." Kristin handed Lucas a cup of pills and a glass of water. She waited until he swallowed them all then left again warning them not to get too rowdy. She was always glad to see the Seaquest crew come to visit Lucas but he sure was going to miss them when Seaquest left port.

[Scene Change]

"Hello, Ensign, what brings you here?" asked Brody taking a seat next to Lonnie at the bar. 

"Ship brought a letter from my father today," she answered as if that explained everything.

"And that's occasion enough for you to get drunk?"

"Uh-huh," she replied downing a shot of tequila. 

"Why?" He waved to the bartender. "I'll have a beer."

"Because I hate him. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I never wanted to be in the military and I definitely did not want to be assigned to this ship."

"So why did you join?" 

"Father forced me too just like he forced the navy to assign me here. Know what the letter said?" she asked taking another shot. "Said he loves me and told me to make him proud. Oh, and that I can access my trust fund again. How convenient that he'd wait until I was somewhere where I couldn't spend it first."

"So it's about money?" asked Brody struggling to follow the conversation.

"No!" she said raising her voice. "It's about how he loves me so much that he's stuck me in the middle of this war to die."

"I don't think your father really understood what we would be doing out here," said Brody quietly. "He probably did not look past Seaquest's prestigious name and Captain."

"Doesn't matter," she muttered dejectedly. "I'll be dead just the same."

"Lonnie, you have just as high a chance to survive this as everyone else. You're a good pilot. You'll do fine."

"Yeah, that's why you killed me." She shook her head in disgust. "Pathetic excuse for a pilot." Her voice slurred as she poured herself yet another glass. 

"You just need more practice. You have good instincts." She still shook her head so he gently tipped her chin until she was looking at him. "Lonnie, I promise to you. We will not send you out to fight before you are ready. You're going to be fine."

"Thanks, Jim," she said softly staring into his eyes. She leaned closer feeling light-headed and closed her eyes. Gently she brushed her lips up against his. She pressed closer deepening the kiss. Abruptly, she was pushed back and her eyes flew open.

"Lonnie, we shouldn't be doing this."

"So?" She tried to slide closer.

"Stop. I'm your superior officer and you're drunk. Come on. Let me walk you back to your room." 

"Don't bother," she hissed stalking out of the bar. 

"What a mess," sighed Jim paying for both tabs. He hurried out of the bar before Lonnie could get too far ahead of him. She would not let him walk her home but she could not stop him from following her to make sure she made it back safely.

[Scene Change]

"Hello?" she asked flicking on the vid-phone. An older gentleman with gray hair popped up on the screen. "Can I help you?"

"Dr. Westphalen?"

"Yes?"

"This is Captain Bridger of the Seaquest."

"Oh! Pleased to meet you, Captain. Your officers have been very nice to keep coming to visit Lucas. I know that he appreciates their efforts."

"Yes, well," he trailed off shifting uncomfortably. "Mr. Wolenczak is the reason I am calling. Seaquest is sailing out tomorrow and Mr. Wolenczak must be on board. If you'll call when you've finished getting him ready for transport, I will send some men over to get him tonight."

"Lucas is not going anywhere. I am his doctor and I refuse to allow him to be moved."

"I'm sorry ma'am but my orders are to transport all of the rescued children to Washington."

"And what about his health?" she demanded glaring at him.

"Seaquest has excellent doctors," reassured Nathan trying to calm her down some.

"No, he's not leaving. I am not going to allow that boy out of my sight."

"Unless you come aboard with him, that's not going to happen," he snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Fine. I will."

"What?!" he spluttered. 

"Since you refuse to let Lucas stay with me, I'll just have to stay with Lucas." She smiled sweetly at him knowing that she had caught him.

"OK! Fine! You can come too just make sure that Lucas is ready to transport tonight." He cut the connection with a sigh of relief. He could not believe the never of that woman. Rubbing his forehead, he grimaced again. Now he was going to have to be on the same boat with that infuriating woman. He paled. They might even run into each other face to face. 


	8. Chapter Seven

"He's good with kids, isn't he?" asked Jonathan coming up behind Katie. 

"Yeah, he'd make a good father," she answered sadly watching Ben playing with a group of the children they had rescued. 

"He'll get his chance one day." Jonathan reached down to grasp Katie's hand tracing the back of it lightly with his fingers. 

"It will never replace the chance I took away." He drew her back until she was leaning against him.

"The past is in the past. You were both young. He does not hold your decision against you." 

"Maybe he should," she replied pulling away. She opened her mouth to say something else but changed her mind and left instead. Ford sighed, staring at her back as she walked away.

"Ah, Katie," he said softly. He watched as the man who was once his rival for Katie's love picked up another child. Ben Krieg was smiling and laughing. Jonathan had never seen him look so happy and content. For as long as Ford had known Krieg, there had been shadows in Krieg's eyes courtesy of hard decisions made too early in life.

[Scene Change]

He tried to stay hidden in the shadows but the laughter was magnetic. He moved closer feeling drawn to the sound and wanting a closer look at what was causing it. The children were playing games. His only previous experience with playing games was chess. This did not look anything like chess. The children, ranging from four years old to his age, were sneaking up on the Lieutenant. Suddenly he would spin around and all of the children would run squealing. Those he caught he'd spin them around until they ran out of air from giggling.  The Lieutenant caught sight of him and stood shedding children like raindrops. 

"Would you like to play?" he asked smiling invitingly. 

Lucas almost nodded yes but he caught himself. 'No running.' That is what Dr. Westphalen had told him before she would let him leave his hospital room. He gave the children a longing look but obediently nodded his head, no.

"Come on," said the Lieutenant grabbing one of his hands. "I promise you'll have fun," he said tugging at the boy's hand to try and entice him into the game. Lucas shook his head again but the man still had his hand. 'No running.' Lucas began pulling at his hand, frantically shaking his head. His eyes were wide with fright and he began panting. "Hey, it's ok," said the Lieutenant releasing the boy's hand. "You don't have to play if you don't want to play. Here, why don't you sit down." He pushed the boy gently until he was sitting on the edge of the moonpool. "Stay here a minute."

"Nalanna, would you like to be the bear for a little while?"

"Can I?" asked the raven haired ten year old. 

"Certainly, just don't try to pick the other kids up like I was doing."

"OK," she answered smiling proudly. The Lieutenant walked back over to where Lucas was sitting and kneeled in front of him. 

"Hi," he began. " My name is Benjamin Krieg. You can call me Ben." He held out his hand towards Lucas who stared at it uncertainly. 

"Hi, Ben. My name is Lucas," said Ben in a high squeaky voice. Lucas let out a shaky laugh and grinned. He reached out his hand and shook Ben's hand. 

"I have a game I think you might like." Ben reached over and rang a bell. Lucas jumped at the sudden sound but Ben pretended not to notice.  A few minutes later, a sleek, gray form surfaced out of the water.  The boy stared in wide-eyed amazement. He had seen dolphins in the ocean once or twice but he had never been this close to one. It was beautiful. He could barely resist the urge to reach out and touch it. The dolphin began chattering away pushing tiny waves of water in their direction. "His name is Darwin. He lives here. Would you like to pet him?"

Lucas nodded eagerly. He slowly stretched out his hand and touched the tip of his finger to the wet skin. He pulled his hand back and stared at it a moment before returning it to his side.  

"Is that all you're going to do?" teased Ben. "That's not how you pet a dolphin. See, like this."  Lucas moved forward hesitantly afraid that Ben might change his mind and order him back. Gingerly, he petted the dolphin trying to copy Ben's movements. The dolphin's skin was softer than it looked but firm too. It was so smooth and slick. It felt like nothing he had ever touched before. Lucas was enchanted. His face was glowing and there was a soft, innocent smile on his face. All too soon, the dolphin was pulling away chattering at them again. 

"I think Darwin wants to play. What do you think should we play with him?" Lucas nodded again. "Here you go," said Ben handing Lucas a ball. "Throw this at him and he'll hit it back to you. Then you catch it and throw it again." Lucas awkwardly lifted the ball and tossed it in front of him. Darwin surfaced under the ball and nosed it back to Lucas splashing him in the process. Lucas swallowed the face full of water, coughed, and threw the ball back. The game continued for several more minutes before Dr. Westphalen came to find Lucas. 

"My goodness child!" she exclaimed. "You're soaked." He smiled at her and nodded pointing to Darwin. "It's time for your nap. Why don't you go change into some dry clothes?"

"Goodbye, kiddo," said Ben giving Lucas a hug. Lucas stood still for a few moments then very carefully moved to put his arms around Ben. He quickly dropped his arms and stepped back. He moved to leave the room but Darwin interrupted him. Balancing on his tail, Darwin moved back in the water chattering at Lucas. Lucas smiled and gave him a wave then left. 

"Lieutenant, I'm impressed. Thirty minutes with you and that dolphin and you have him giving hugs and initiating non-verbal conversation. That's better than any of the rest of us could you. Yes, sir, I'm truly impressed."

"Thank you, ma'am but I didn't do anything other than introduce him to Darwin."

"Thank you, Darwin," she said to which he replied with a flip.

[Scene Change]

"Katie, you can't shut me out."

"Jonathan! There's nothing to talk about!" She slammed her book in the table.

"Then why are you trying to break my furniture?" he asked with a slight smile. 

"Fine, I'll leave." She began to get up but he stopped her pushing her gently back into the chair.

"No, you won't. You are going to sit there until you start talking. We are not going another night with this hanging over our heads."

"What do you want me to say?" she demanded. "I ruined my best friend's life."

"Katie, darling, you can't keep beating yourself up over something that happened ten years ago. You made a mistake. They happen."

"There wasn't anything else for us to do. Ben had already committed to the Navy and I was planning on committing when I was eligible. I wasn't ready to raise a baby by myself and I did not want to give up on my dreams. Ben wanted to keep her. He tried his best to get out of the commitment but they would not let him go. What choice did we have but to give her up for adoption?"

"None at all," he reassured her gently. "You made the right decision."

"But you just said it was a mistake?"

"The pregnancy. It was a mistake to get pregnant. You and Ben were just kids yourself."

"Don't you say that! Don't you ever say that!" she growled grabbing his sleeve in her first. "I will never ever regret bringing her into this world. The happiest day of my life was the day I gave birth to her."

"Katie, honey, if you're happy about having your daughter and you understand that you made the right choice by giving her up, why are you still torturing yourself over this?"

"How can I forgive myself after what I did to Ben? How can I forgive myself knowing that I let my baby be taken away to give to someone else? You know?" she continued. "We've talked about how horrible Lucas's mom was to not want him. We kept saying how terrible she is for getting rid of him like that. How am I any different from her? Didn't I do the same thing?"

"No! You are nothing like Lucas's mother. She SOLD him from money. She did not love him. You gave away your baby because you loved her and because you could not take care of her. There is a big difference between selling someone into slavery and giving them up for adoption to another loving family."

"I don't know," she said leaning her head on his chest. "I just don't know anything anymore."

"I think you need to talk to Ben," he said kissing her on the top of her head. He reached down and smoothed away her tears. "You two have a lot of things you need to work out together." 

"You think so?"

"Yes."

"OK, I'll try and talk to him tomorrow."

[Scene Change]

                        You said you wanted to be an elementary school teacher.

                        We have almost a hundred school aged children on the boat

                        right now. Why don't you teach them? Just a suggestion. Also

                        could you meet me for dinner? We need to discuss what

                        happened that night in the bar.

                                                                                    Jim

Lonnie stared at the note thinking about her options. She just wanted to forget that that whole night had ever happened. That was not likely to happen now. She was surprised that the whole ship did not know about it. That would be just what she needed. She was already mortified enough. She just had to be stupid and get drunk. And her oh-so-handsome superior officer, that she had a crush on, just had to show up there too. And she just had to go and do something even stupider like kiss him. She shook her head in disgust. Well, she had to face him sooner or later. It might as well be tonight.

"Hi," he said as he opened his door to find her standing there. 

"Hey," she said softly. "I, um, I was on my way to dinner. Would you like to join me?" she asked shyly.

"Sure, just let me get my ID." He went back into his room and came right back out again. Neither said anything as they stood in line and picked up their meal. Through silent agreement, they both chose a solitary bench in the corner. The meal passed quietly scattered lightly with polite small talk.

"So."

"So," he echoed looking down at the table. "I meant what I said in the note," he started. "A lot of these kids have been neglected by way of education. If you could find some way to test them so their next teachers know where they stand, you could really help them out. Lieutenant Krieg is my roommate. He's been going down almost every day and playing with the children. Maybe you could go down with them and show them some educational games to help them learn."

"I don't know."

"I think you would be good at it," he said honestly.

"Thank you," she said smiling. "Look, about that night. I'm really sorry. My behavior was horrible. Even being drunk, I have no excuse for what I did."

"It's OK. You don't have to apologize. Lots of people do things that they regret when they are inebriated."

"Then why did you mention it in the note?"

"Lonnie, I'm your superior officer and more importantly your instructor. We need to make sure that any lingering embarrassment or awkwardness is taken care of before we go out in the fighters again. We have to make sure this thing isn't going to be an issue between us."

"Jim, I'm not a petty school girl who's going to pout because she was turned down. I understand that what I did was wrong. I know why we can not participate in activities like that. I would in no way want to jeopardize our careers or our fledgling friendship."

"Good, then everything's fine?"

"Yeah, other than a slight case of embarrassment everything's great."

"So. Would you like to wander over to the rec area to see what movie they are showing tonight?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

[Scene Change]

"Hi, Katie."

"Hi, Ben. Can we talk?"

"Sure. Would you like to come in? Jim's on duty."

"Thanks." She took a seat at his table. "Do you ever wonder what's she's like?" she asked softly tracing patterns on the table.

"Every day. Even more so now that there are so many kids here. The adults stay out of the way or are busy working so you don't notice their addition as much but the children stand out.  I see her in every single one of them, even Lucas."

"Lucas, sure is special, isn't he?"

"He's gotten to you. Being around him brings out every motherly instinct you have and that's making you question if you did the right thing."

"Right as always. How do you know me so well?"

"Katie, I love you. We had something special. OK, so as a couple we did not do so great but we were best friends. That friendship is too strong to go away even if we have drifted apart over the years."

"What happened to us?"

"Signing the papers to give away my daughter was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. For a long time, I blamed you for not wanting to keep her. I was hurt and angry and you were the unlucky target. Then by the time I had dealt with it enough to forgive you and myself, our relationship had already changed. I did not want to upset things especially with you and Jonathan by bringing up things that were old news."

"I thought you hated me," she admitted softly. "Even after all this time, I didn't think you would forgive me."

"Katie, I could never hate you."

"I'm glad. I've missed my best friend."

"Me, too," he replied giving her a hug. Sometime later, after they had finished their conversation and Katie had left for the bridge, Ben left his room and wandered down to the moonpool to think. Lucas found him there and went to sit by his feet.

"Hey, Lucas," he said, smiling sadly. Lucas looked up at him questioningly and touched his leg.  "I'm OK. I've just had a lot to think about lately. Did Katie ever tell you we used to date?" Lucas shook his head. "Yep, way back in high school. We were best friends so we thought that we would be good as boyfriend and girlfriend. Boy, were we wrong. The very things that made our friendship perfect ruined any other aspect of the relationship.

"We did do one very wonderful thing. We had a baby. Her name was Caitlyn Elizabeth. I loved her the moment I laid eyes on her lying so tiny, and perfect folded in her blankets." Ben wiped at a tear that escaped down his cheek. "I was in the military and Katie was joining soon. We weren't ready to support a baby. I wanted to drop out of the military to raise her but they would not let me. We had to give her up for adoption. The adoptive parents usually opt to have the baby's name changed so I don't even know her name anymore. All I know is that she turned ten on February 11th and she's my daughter and I love her." He sniffled slightly drying his eyes. He ruffled Lucas's hair. "Thanks for listening to me, kid. I'm sorry it wasn't a happier subject. I've got to go to work now so I'll see you around."

Lucas watched as he left pondering the new information. He wished he could help Katie and Ben somehow.  He wondered if he could find any information on their daughter for them. Heading back to his room, he booted up his computer. He did a search on the name, Caitlyn Elizabeth, and the birthday; Feburary 11, 2008. Settling in for a lengthy project, he began checking the results.

[Scene Change]

"Yes?" asked Katie opening her door. "Lucas?" He was standing outside her door with his hand raised to knock. Seeing her, he smiled secretively and reached out to take hold of her hand. Pulling on it, he tried to portray that he wanted her to come with him. "OK, Lucas," she answered puzzled. "I'm coming." He led her down to the moonpool where Ben was sitting talking to Darwin.

"Katie! Lucas! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Ben jumping up from his seat.

"I don't know," answered Katie. "Lucas, brought me here." Lucas held up his hand then hurried out of the room.

"I wonder what that was all about?"

"I'm not sure," replied Katie. Lucas returned a minute later carrying something. Grinning proudly, he handed Katie and Ben identical folders. She read the header on the cover page: Caitlyn Elizabeth Crowley; Fort Moore Adoption Agency. "I can't believe it," she cried raising a shaking hand to cover her mouth. "You found her. You found my baby," she said crying.

"Lucas, how can I ever thank you for this?" asked Ben through his tears. Lucas just shook his head telling he that he did not need to thank him. "Look, they have yearly updates on her and pictures. Look at all these pictures. Here she is on her first day of school." 

"And her tenth birthday party," said Katie softly. "She's so beautiful."

"She looks like you," replied Ben. 

"She has your eyes." Katie smiled down at the pictures of her daughter. "Thank you, Lucas. You don't know what this means to be but how on earth did you find all of thi?."

Lucas pointed to Ben and the name of the agency and shrugged. It was the best he could do to explain that Ben had given him enough information in their talk for Lucas to find the name of the agency. From there, all Lucas had to do was hack into their database and copy the files. Katie threw her arms around Lucas and squeezed him tight. He did his best to give her a hug in return. Now that he was not quite so intimidated, he found that he kind of liked hugs. With that in mind, he moved over and gave Ben one too. He pushed the two of them together and began to leave the room. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw them sitting side by side looking at the pictures of their daughter. He smiled to himself. Neither of them had noticed yet that  her home address and e-mail were listed on the last page. 


	9. Chapter Eight

Sorry that this took so long but I warned you that there'd start being a delay. Due to my busy schedule now, I am considering opening up this story to contributions. If you have any suggestions for plots or are interested in writing a part, feel free to contact me at devilrats@yahoo.com or through yahoo or AOL instant messengers under devilrats. 

Thanks to Joxer, Katie, scificiton786, bbclarky, Murali Suriar, LoP, Vampy, and Gina for their reviews. 

"Captain! The radar just detected a submarine two miles ahead. She's spotted us, sir. She's headed this way!" A small, innocent triangle blinked on the green screen. It grew closer as the image refreshed.

"Lieutenant O'Neill, try and contact them." Nathan Bridger paced in front of his seat watching the screen.

"They are not responding, sir," answered O'Neill worriedly. 

"Captain, I'm reading more craft. I believe the sub is releasing fighters." The triangle was now surrounded by equally innocent looking dots. To the uneducated eye, the pictorial representations were hard to view as dangerous opponents. 

"Lieutenant Brody, get down to the launch bay immediately. We need the pilots in the water now."

"Yes, sir," he said hurrying out the door. 

"Sir, do you want me to suit up or to stay here?" asked Hitchcock.

"Here," answered Bridger immediately. "If they attack, we'll need you warding off any hackers. Lt. O'Neill, sound the alarms."  The alarm sounded throughout the boat sending passengers scurrying to their quarters and crewmembers dashing to their stations. 

"Dr. Westphalen, this is Dr. Levin from Medbay," came the call as Kristin was reassuring Lucas that everything would be fine. The boy looked a little pale in her opinion.

"Yes," she replied.

"We'd appreciate it if you would come down to medbay and lend your assistance. We do not know how many people will be injured and having another doctor here could be the difference between life and death for someone."

"I don't know," she said uncertainly glancing at Lucas. Lucas nodded and made shooing motions towards her. "All right," she eventually said. "I'll be there in a minute." She turned to Lucas sitting him down on the bed. "I'm going to go to medbay. You are going to seal the hatch behind me when I leave and stay in this room. Under no circumstances are you to leave. Do you understand?" Lucas nodded and she hurried out of the room.

[Scene Change]

"Captain! They are firing on us! Two torpedoes in the water!" stated Ortiz in as calm a voice as he could manage at the moment. He kept his eyes on the screen and his fingers dancing across the console ready to fire intercepts. He concentrated hard so that he would be able to hear the Captain's orders over the swishing sound of blood rushing through his veins. 

"Ortiz, ready intercepts. Fire on my mark." He tensed counting off the seconds until the torpedoes would be in range. "Now!"

"Intercepts away. Collision in three, two, one." The force dispersed by the blast rocked the boat. Frightened passengers screamed in their quarters. Lucas ignored the movement as he concentrated on hacking into the ships communication so he could track the action. Crewmembers held onto the walls for support and loose paneling in the ceilings came tumbling down. The rocking only lasted seconds but like an earthquake it felt like much longer. When everyone looked around to assess the damage, they discovered that the paneling had dealt them a costly blow. 

"O'Neill, get medbay up here. Ortiz, watch for any other torpedoes," snapped Ford bending down over his commanding officer. Bridger was breathing but a large piece of paneling had hit him directly in the head knocking him out cold. From the looks of it, he was not going to be resuming command any time soon. Briefly, he moved on to kneel beside Katie. She sat dazed in her seat bleeding from a cut on her forehead. She struggled to focus on his face but failed and he signaled to O'Neill to inform medbay that they had two for transport.

"Captain," started Lieutenant Brody. "We are going to be neck deep in enemy fighters in about thirty seconds. What are our orders?"

"The Captain has been injured, Mr. Brody. I am assuming command of Seaquest," answered Commander Ford.

"What are our orders, sir?" repeated Brody urgently.

"Protect yourself by any means necessary. They have shown beyond a doubt that they are a hostile target."

"Orders, acknowledged," answered Brody formally. "All right, men, engage."

[Scene Change]

"Medbay to the bridge," said O'Neill's voice through the speakers of Lucas's computer. "Captain Bridger and Lt. Commander Hitchcock need transport to Medbay" 

Katie! Lucas paused his scan of the systems to listen to Tim's voice. He frowned slightly as Tim relayed information onto the medical staff. He learned enough to reassure him that Katie would be fine but he was well aware of how important she was to the Seaquest. Without her to keep hackers out of the ship's systems, there might not be a Seaquest left when she was well enough to help the fight. He glanced briefly at the door knowing that he could easily cover for her if he was on the bridge. Biting his lip, he shook his head trying to concentrate on what he could accomplish from here in his room. He shoved the hair that fell into his face back behind his ears. He wanted to be up there helping his friends defend their home but the doctor had told him to stay here. 

He pushed his computer to its maximum capacity trying to catch and deflect the feelers that the enemy hacker was threading into Seaquest's system. His fingers flew across the keys so fast that the break between clicks was indistinguishable. Every so often he would have to pause and wait for the computer to catch up with him. He felt like a sprinter with a broken leg. The computer was a handicap that was going to make this race impossible for him to win. The only reason he had not lost yet was because he had spent the last week slowly plugging the more obvious holes in the system's security. He was able to go straight to the only places left and put up temporary barriers but with each barrier the hacker broke he was one step closer to defeat. 

Alarms sounded as flags he had placed around key systems were activated. He jumped then began pulling up the windows until he found the system that was being attacked. His face lost all color as he spotted the attack. In an instant, he went from worried to terrified that they were going to lose the boat. He slammed his hand down on the panic button he had programmed. Before his last chance at delaying the attack began to run, Lucas was darting down the corridors that led to the bridge. His worse nightmare had come true. A second hacker had joined the first hacker. The ship was not just content with taking control of the weapons' system. They were trying to shut off life support. Lucas knew that if they took out the primary life support then they would be able to wipe out the backup programs as well and Lucas was the only person who could stop them. 

[Scene Change]

"They're weakening on the left flank!" shouted Brody as he twisted his fighter between two lines of enemy fire. He let off a brief burst of ammunition piercing the fuel tank of the nearest fighter. The fighter exploded enveloping Brody in the cloud of fire and debris. His fighter bounced but he held onto the controls and battled his way through hoping that the heat and flying parts were not doing too much damage to his fighter. He wondered briefly how much air the fighter must have been carrying for the fire to be able to exist under water. 

Two of his men attacked the weakening in the line of fighters. The first fighter took out two of the enemy as he flew down the line twisting out of the way of the return fire. The second fighter was not as lucky. His run down the line removed three of the enemy fighters from the equation but he forgot to pull up at the last minute and rammed nose first into the last fighter. Both Brody's man and the enemy fighter exploded. 

"They've got reinforcements coming," came the scared shout of one of the men. Brody glanced down at his screen cursing at the fresh squadron of fighters coming in from the east. 

"Commander! I need more men out here now!" shouted Brody forgetting all protocol.

"Lieutenant, there are no reserve fighter pilots left. We do not have anyone to send you."

"We're outnumbered! We are going to be slaughtered if we do not get some help!"

"We've lost control of weapons," replied Ford solemnly. "Right now you and your men are the only thing keeping us from being blown out of the water. I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but you are on your own out there."

Lonnie Henderson imagined her commanding officer's bleak face as he heard the words that spelled his death. She knew he would fight to the last man to protect Seaquest. She could not stay safe on Seaquest while her fellow pilots made the ultimate sacrifice. She snapped on her helmet and began keying her systems. As she navigated her fighter out of the boat, she whispered to herself. "I'm coming, Jim. Hang on. I'm coming."

[Scene Change]

The bridge was deathly silent. A feeling of defeat hung in the air after the Commander's last statement. While people were hurrying to try and bring weapons back online, the actions on the bridge seemed muted. The only discussions were silent ones passed on through glances and the hesitant last touches of comrades. The chaos of the battle outside was unable to permeate the sealed doors. 

It was the opening of those sealed doors that broke the oppressive blanket. At the sound of the doors sliding open, Tim whipped around in his seat leveling the barrel of his gun at the doors. Whoever was on the other side of the door had exactly two seconds to prove that they were not hostile before Tim eliminated them. He almost dropped the gun when Lucas burst through the doors. The boy's face was gray and he was soaked in sweat. He looked like he had been running for his life. Ignoring the rest of the bridge, Lucas rushed to Hitchcock's console and began activating things. Tim watched as the Commander marched to Lucas's side prepared to forcefully remove the boy from the bridge. Lucas threw Ford's arm off of him never looking of from his work.

"Don't, Commander," said Tim in a voice that he barely recognized as his own. "He's a hacker. Let him do his job." Tim raised his eyes to meet Ford's eyes and saw the comprehension dawn there. Ford nodded uncertainly and moved back to Bridger's chair. 

Even with the computing power of the Seaquest, Lucas knew that he could not over take the two hackers with the head start that they had had. Instead, he chose a different path. Latching onto one of the hackers, he began to follow it back to the enemy ship's computers. The enemy hacker was like a worm. He could slip behind the hacker and follow its path back through the tunnel it had dug. Once inside the enemy system, he released a couple of relatively harmless but annoying viruses. As he had hoped, the hacker that had been attacking Seaquest's life support was called off the attack to fix the viruses. 

Using his time wisely, he concentrated on building a wall around the enemy's backup life support system. He did not want to take the chance that what he planned to do would wipe out all life support killing everyone aboard the enemy ship. Once the backup life support was safe, he activated a shield that would protect Seaquest from any rebound back through the connection. Finally it was safe to unleash his weapon. He sent a magnetic pulse along the connection bouncing it through the enemy ship's computer systems. All of their programming was erased sending their computers and the ship crashing to a halt. Conscious of the danger the fighter pilots were in, he did not pause to celebrate his victory. He immediately began keying the programs that would release the weapons' controls. 

[Scene Change]

Lonnie sped out into the fight headless to any danger. She pulled her fighter up out of the way of an incoming missal. Laughing, she spun around searching for an enemy target. She got lucky with her first one hitting it dead on sending it careening into the ocean floor. Yes!

"Fighter, identify yourself," ordered Brody with a sinking feeling that he knew exactly who was piloting the fighter. 

"It's me, Henderson," answered Lonnie not expecting the string of curses that greeted her. 

"Return to the ship immediately!" he demanded. "You are not ready for this."

"You need me out here, sir."

"I am ordering you to return to Seaquest!" he shouted before another enemy fighter was demanding his undivided attention. Moments later, he twisted around to find her still out there dancing around the deadly fire. Shaking his head, he turned to provide her cover. She took out another fighter never noticing how narrowly she managed to clear the fighter in front of her. She was flying high on adrenaline and her attentiveness was wavering. Brody threw caution aside and sped up to keep up with her. One of the enemy fighters dropped back behind her. She twisted and turned trying in vain to shake her tail. Brody ducked under an on-coming fighter and shot the one following Henderson. He was so intent on keeping her safe that he never noticed the fighter behind him. He did not even have time to register that he had been hit before the blackness reached up and swallowed him.

Henderson spun around to thank Brody for helping her with her tail. She saw the missal hit his fighter. She could only watch in horror as it spiraled down to crash into the sandy bottom. As she moved to circle the craft, another enemy fighter dropped down behind her. The pilot had her in his sights and was ready to fire when Seaquest blasted him into pieces. Lonnie was forced to leave Jim as she helped corral the fighters that the Seaquest was not currently decimated. The only thing she could think about as she labored on was that she hoped he was alive. 

[Scene Change]

"You did it!" congratulated Tim patting Lucas on his back. The boy gave him a shy grin and shrugged.

"Lucas!" exclaimed Dr. Westphalen rushing onto the bridge the second the doors unsealed. An expression of fear flickered across Lucas's face before his face became blank. Tim frowned slightly wondering at the cause of the fear. "Why didn't you stay in your room? You could have been hurt or even killed! How could you do such a thing? I was worried sick about you."

Lucas bowed his head, twisting his arms together to hide their trembling. Kristin reached down to brush the hair back from his face but he flinched and she slowly moved her hand back. She studied him for a moment. "Come on," she said. "We need to get you to MedBay to check you out."

"Doctor Westphalen," began Tim hesitantly. "I think maybe it would be best if you gave Lucas some space."

"Nonsense," she stated glaring at Tim. "I am not the one who allowed him to remain in a dangerous situation." She reached down and grabbed Lucas's arm prepared to remove him from the bridge. She paused in surprise when Lucas whimpered in response to her touch. Tim placed a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from leaving the room.

"Ma'am, you're frightening him," he said gently. 

"But why would Lucas be frightened of me?" she asked in horror. She released her hold on his arm and moved to embrace him but Tim squeezed her shoulder gently causing her to look back up at him.

"I think perhaps you should leave. Your being here is just going to upset him more."

"But."

"He's right," interjected Jonathan. "Look, Tim can take him to your quarters. Come, I'll walk with you to medbay."

"I'll take care of him," promised Tim. Kristin looked between the two men and down at the young boy and realized that she did not have a choice.

"OK," she agreed unhappily. Tim waited a moment as Jonathan led her from the room then knelt down beside Lucas.

"Are you ok?" he asked the boy softly. Lucas paused uncertainly still refusing to look at Tim. He finally shrugged. "I'm going to take you back to your room now. Can you walk?" Lucas stood slowly waiting to see if his limbs would stop shaking before shaking his head no. "I am going to pick you up," said Tim moving slowly to scoop the boy up into his arms. Lucas stiffened but did not protest. Tim shifted the boy surprised at how little he weighed. It horrified Tim even more to realize that Lucas had been putting on weight in the weeks he had been on Seaquest. He must have only weighed around eighty pounds when they rescued him. Tim set the boy down gently beside the door then keyed the door open. Lucas wobbled over to his bed flinching again when Tim sat down beside him. 

"She's not mad at you, you know," started Tim. Lucas sighed and curled in on himself trying to escape the conversation. "She is not your new owner. She is not going to beat you or starve you for disobeying." Lucas shivered again. Tim smoothed down Lucas's hair pulling him closer to him. "She's just upset because she cares for you. She was afraid that something bad might have happened to you while you were on the bridge. She loves you. Didn't you know that?"

Lucas pulled back searching Tim's face for any sign that he was kidding. His eyes filled with tears and he shook his head. It had never occurred to him that Dr. Westphalen might view him as anything other than her responsibility. Her property.

"What? You don't think you are worth being loved?" asked Tim gently. Lucas glanced down, ashamed. He nodded his head slowly. Tim placed a finger under Lucas's chin forcing him to meet Tim's eyes. "You're wrong," said Tim gently but firmly. "There is a lot about you to love and none of it has anything to do with you being a hacker. You have made a lot of friends on this boat in the short time you've been here and we all love you. We love you for you because you are Lucas and that makes you special. Dr. Westphalen loves you most of all. She does not love you like a friend. She loves you the way a mother loves a son." Tim noticed the slight apprehension in Lucas's eyes at the mention of a mother. "Not like that. Like a real mother. One who loves and cherishes and protects her son." Tears began to pour down Lucas's cheeks. Tim hugged the boy's frail frame close to him as it shook with sobs. Weeks of fear leaked out with the tears and by the time he was finished crying, Lucas was relaxed enough to drift off to sleep in Tim's arms. 

[Scene Change]

"You did a very brave but incredibly stupid thing," began Captain Bridger entering the room. Lonnie leapt to her feet saluting the captain. She realized that he expected an answer to his statement and glanced down at Brody lying bruised and bandaged in the bed beside her.

"Yes, sir," she answered finally.

"He was injured trying to protect you because you were not ready to be placed in that kind of situation. He could have died and it would have been your fault. How does that make you feel?"

"Ashamed," she whispered. "Guilty. I wish I had listened. I wish I had stayed on the boat. It's just that they needed more fighters and Seaquest could not help them. I couldn't let them fight when I was the only person available to help them," she finished fighting tears.

"But you did not help them. You got in the way and your mistake almost cost Lieutenant Brody his life. Do you understand now why you were kept on the boat?"

"Yes, sir," she replied wiping a tear from her cheek. She bowed her head to hide any more tears that threatened to fall. 

"I am docking you for a month's salary as punishment."

"Yes, sir."

"You are also stripped of all pilot's privileges. You will join Commander Hitchcock's class when she resumes teaching it. You will not set foot in a fighter or any other vehicle until both Commander Hitchcock and Lieutenant Brody clear you. You are also subject to any further punishment as Lt. Brody sees fit to administer. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." She did not look up from her inspection of the floor until the Captain had left the medical room. She wiped the tears from her face again. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Brody's motionless figure.

[Scene Change]

"Hello, Lucas," greeted Captain Bridger seeing the boy seated on an examination table in the Medbay. Dr. Westphalen was still checking him over to make sure he was fine after the rough day yesterday. Lucas looked up smiling shyly at the Captain. "I wanted to tell you how thankful I am that you were here to save my ship." Lucas just shrugged clearly saying in his own way that it was nothing. "Thank you. I don't suppose there is any way we can convince you to stay on Seaquest is there?" asked Bridger with a grin. Lucas grinned back and nodded to Dr. Westphalen. "Oh, we'd find her a place to stay too." Lucas looked at her pleadingly.  She frowned warningly at the Captain and smiled sadly at Lucas. 

"We'll see."


	10. Chapter Nine

Jaimee stood in front of the mirror admiring her reflection. She jingled her hair admiring how the curls bounced. Her painted lips looked fuller than normal and she blew herself a kiss. Laughing, she picked up the blue glitter and spread it across her eyelids. Pleased with the finished product, she stepped away from the mirror. Her full-length skirt swished around her ankles as she crossed the room. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she hurried to open the door. Standing on the other side was her date standing handsomely in his dress whites. 

"Hey," she said shyly. "My name is Jaimee."

"Wow," said the gentleman looking her over. "My name is Tony."

"Pleased to meet you," she replied stepping out into the hall. "My roommates have already left," she said closing the door.

"Are you excited?" he asked escorting her down the corridor.

"Very." She smiled her cheeks flushed with excitement. "I've never done anything like this before," she said with a wave to indicate her clothes and make-up. "We did not get many chances to have fun."

"Well, you'll have lots of chances now. Have you thought about what you would like to do now that you are free?"

"I want to find my family. I have not seen them since I was fourteen." She smiled sadly. "Maybe the people in New Haven will be able to locate them for me."

"I hope you find them. I know what it's like to be without your family." He looked at her shyly. He was a little uncertain as to how to act because he had never had the opportunity to interact with women very much. They passed other couples in the corridor nodding politely to them in greeting. As they rounded the corner, the music from the Mess Hall became audible. 

The Mess Hall was crowded with people spilling out into the corridor. Tony took his date's hand and led her into the room. He spotted Lieutenant Hitchcock sitting in the corner. She was laughing politely at a joke her elderly companion was telling her. He knew that Katie was still suffering from headaches caused by the concussion she received during the last battle. She was prohibited from dancing which was probably why she was paired with the old man. Tony noticed that she kept glancing in Commander Ford's direction. She probably did not like watching him dance with other women. Turning his focus back to his date, he noticed that she was looking longingly towards the dancers. 

"May I have this dance?" he asked her with a wobbly bow. 

"Certainly," she replied giving him her best curtsey. He pulled her into the crowd and wrapped his arms around her. Swaying to the music, they moved gently with the flow of the crowd. 

[Scene Change]

Nathan Bridger nervously straightened his tie one last time. He looked over his reflection appraisingly. His gray hair that often made him feel distinguished now just made him look old. Not for the first time that evening, he regretted giving Lieutenant Krieg permission to organize this dance. Even worse he never should have agreed to being paired up with a date. Either the stars were cross with him that day or he was the victim of some crewman's scheming plot because his date for the night was none other than Dr. Westphalen. 

Kristin Westphalen. She was a complicated woman. She was smart and beautiful but ah, did she have a fiery temper. He was very curious about this woman that so many of his crew kept talking about but their first meeting had been more than a little intimidating. Worried for the well being of his boat, he had made a conscious effort to avoid her since she had come aboard. She had been assigned as his doctor after he had been hurt in the last battle. Being her patient was not what he expected it to be. She was gentle but highly professional and very good at her job. They had managed to have several short conversations that did not end in fireworks. Perhaps dancing with her would not seem like such a punishment if things had remained that way between them. Unfortunately, she had been rather curt towards him ever since he had offered her and the young hacker a place here on Seaquest. He did not see why she had a problem with it but her expression warned him that he would find out sometime in the near future when they had an intense discussion on the subject. Finding himself standing in front of her quarters, he swallowed nervously before reaching up knock on the door. He fought the urge to pace knowing that the majority of his nervousness came from the fact that this was his first 'date' since Carol had died. 

"Hi," he said as the boy, Lucas, opened the door. Lucas looked him over carefully giving a mental whistle of appreciation at his outfit. He held up his hand signaling five minutes. "Tell her to take all the time that she needs," replied Bridger. Lucas grinned and ducked back into the room. 

"Help me with this," said Kristin trying to fasten a necklace around her neck. Lucas moved behind her and took the ends hooking them together. She pulled the diamond-studded chain around until the pendant was centered. "There," she said standing up. "How do I look?"

'Like an angel,' he thought smiling up at her with adoration shining in his eyes. Her scarlet hair was twisted up and pinned to her head leaving a few curled tendrils free to frame her face. She was wearing a gorgeous dress of red crushed velvet. The bodice was tight but modestly cut and the skirt fell loosely about her hips. Long, black silk gloves and glossy black high heels completed the look. Watching her twirl to give him a better view, Lucas did not think he had ever seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. Impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek giving her a light hug. 

"Thank you, dear," she said smiling at Lucas. Every show of affection from the boy was a thrilling victory against his past. That this one had come unprompted made it all the more special. He waved at her then slipped out the door motioning to the Captain that he could enter. Bridger smiled at the boy who was retreating down the corridor then slowly pushed the door open. The sight that greeted him left him breathless. 

"Madam," he said after a pause to pull himself together. "You look magnificent."

"Thank you. So do you, Captain," she replied smiling radiantly. He held out a hand to her, which she took, then led her out of the room. 

[Scene Change]

"I don't understand why we have to do this," grumbled Tim smoothing the wrinkles out of his dress jacket. 

"Why are you complaining? It will be fun," replied Miguel pulling on his pants. 

"Yeah, a lot of fun," said Tim sarcastically. "I really want to spend the night dancing with some woman I've never met."

"You agreed to it."

"Funny, I seem to recall you volunteering me."

"Come on. I thought the dance would be a really good idea. Most of the former slaves will be departing when we reach New Haven tomorrow. This is a good way to celebrate their last night here."

"But why me?"

Miguel shrugged. "I thought you would like it. It's a chance for us to have some fun and escape the war mentality for a while. Pairing up the crew with passengers of the opposite sex was just the easiest way to insure that everyone had a date."

"I am going to make a fool of myself. I'd much rather just stay here with you." 

"What and deprive my date of her dashing dance partner?" Tim could not help smiling at the comment. 

"I guess we can't have that." He watched silently as Miguel put the finishing touches on his outfit. Miguel moved silently to stand in front of him. He took the tie out of his hands and slipped it under his collar.

"I'm sorry I volunteered you," he said seriously. "If you don't have fun, we'll come back here and I'll make it up to you," he said as he finished knotting the tie.

"Promise?" asked Tim with a slight smirk.

"Promise." Feeling a bit better about the evening's prospects, Tim smiled as he followed Miguel out the door. 

[Scene Change]

"So then my brother turns around to me and yells, 'It's a tack!'" Lonnie laughed at the incredibly lame joke and clung tighter to her date's arm.  The man, Jack Onslow, was incredibly gorgeous but that was about all she could say about him.  He had the personality of a soggy piece of Tofu. Listening to him talk was like having teeth pulled. 

"Let's dance," she whispered to him hoping to keep him occupied. Twisting through the crowd, she found an open area near one of the speakers. The music poured out beating through her body. She was sure that it would more than drown out anything he had to say. Closing her eyes, she lost herself within the music. She spun around undulating her body in time to the music. Her annoying partner was left behind in the mundane world while she soared with the notes. The song, or a chain of songs, ended and she stood panting; her face flushed from exertion. 

"Thirsty?" shouted Jack over the music. She nodded forgetting the reason she had been so eager to dance in the first place. They moved out of the Mess Hall to an office across the corridor where refreshments had been set up. She plopped down in a chair while he hurried to get her some punch. "You were wonderful out there," he said handing her a glass.

"Thanks," she replied gulping down a significant portion of the punch. 

"You know, this reminds me of a time back home," he began headless of her pained expression. Desperate the end the story before he could get started, she did the only thing she could think of to shut him up. She leaned forward and kissed him. He responded eagerly to the kiss wrapping his hands around her head. For a moment she forgot what she was doing but when his hands began to roam down her back and around towards her chest she jerked away. 

"I'm sorry," she said gasping. "This is inappropriate." He glanced around the populated room with lust filled eyes.

"My quarters are empty," he said huskily. "Would that be better?"

"No!" she said leaping to her feet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lean you on but I'm not interested."

"Just like a woman," he growled angrily then stalked from the room. She stood staring after him shaken by the whole incident. 

"Is everything OK?" asked Jim coming up behind her. She spun around her gaze briefly resting on his face before she looked down at the floor. 

"Yeah," she said distractedly, staring at the cast on his left wrist. 

"You sure?" he asked again concerned.

"Positive. Look. I'm just going to go take a walk," she replied hurrying from the room. Jim frowned but let her go. 

"Who was that?" asked his date, Caela Marchenson, handing him a glass of punch.

"A friend," he said after a brief pause to consider the answer.

"Is she all right? She looked kind of upset."

"I'm not sure," he replied hesitantly. "She wouldn't say."

[Scene Change]

Lucas threw the book across the room in frustration. Try as he might, he just could not get his fingers to make the shapes they were supposed to be making. He looked at the list and sighed. It did not really matter if he learned enough sign language to sign these commands. He wanted to be able to talk to Darwin and ordering him to jump was not talking. 'There must be another way,' he thought to himself. He could not explain why he wanted to talk to the dolphin so bad but he did. Maybe he just recognized the look in Darwin's eyes as he chattered incomprehensibly. It was the same look that he saw every morning when he looked in the mirror. 

"Beya moot ith nofah," he said groaning at how horrible he sounded. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in his arms. No matter how hard he tried, he could not make his tongue work any better at talking than his fingers did at sign language. 'I will not cry. I will not cry," he chanted mentally as a lump rose in his throat. He felt a nudge at his leg and looked down at Darwin. The dolphin bobbed his head and chattered encouragingly at him. He smiled sadly as he reached down to rub Darwin's head. 'No,' he thought as a few stray tears fell. 'Being mute is no fun but at least I'm not alone.'

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in here," came a voice from behind him. He spun around wiping furiously at his face. The woman behind him was an officer on Seaquest. Though the short blue dress she was wearing did not give away any hints to her identity. Lucas vaguely recalled being introduced to her by Katie. "Hi, I'm Lonnie," she said holding out a hand.

He reached out and shook her hand watching her silently. She looked back at him waiting for him to volunteer his name. An uncomfortable moment of silence passed before she remembered where she had seen him.

"Oh!" she said embarrassed. "You're Lucas, aren't you?" He nodded. "Ah," she said wondering what else there was to say to someone who could not talk. "I just came down here to listen to some music and get away from the crowd upstairs. Do you mind if I put something on?" He did not know what she was talking about but he nodded yes anyway.  She crossed the room setting her CD player on a table. Plugging it in, she pressed play. 

Lucas flinched staring at the small box from which noise was emitting. He had never heard anything like it in his life. Wide-eyed he moved closer wincing as the sound grew louder. He picked up one of the round reflective disks and examined it. 

"Don't like it?" asked Lonnie. He stared at her as though she had grown horns. "Metal's not for everyone," she said with a shrug. "I just thought maybe you'd be into that kind of music because you're young."  He looked at her puzzled. She watched him for a moment. "You don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked slowly. He shook his head.

"Is there any kind of music that you do like?" He shrugged still confused. She looked at him pondering before a thought occurred to her. "Have you ever heard music before?" Again he shook his head. 

"Poor thing," she murmured. "Music is like life. Music can make you soar above the clouds like a bird. Music can be like an angry mob. Music is a rhythmic beat that pulses in your soul. Music is a note so sweet that it makes you cry. Close your eyes," she commanded softly. She switched the CD with one containing classical music. "Listen." 

Soft tendrils of sound teased at his ears. He listened carefully to the sweet melody of a flute smiling softly as other instruments joined the flute. The fabric woven by these sounds was so beautiful. He felt like they were wrapping around him and carrying him away. His eyes opened slowly as the last notes died away. She looked at his eyes wide with wonder and laughed. 

"I thought you'd like that. Would you like to try something a little more…. wild next?" she asked. He nodded eager for more music. "OK, this is going to be a lot different. There are going to be words. They're like poetry that goes along with the music." She changed the CD then selected the song she wanted to hear. He sat back to listen as she pressed play.

This music was nothing like the previous music. It was louder and faster. There was something in this music that clung to him. A throbbing in his veins. It was a heady feeling, listening to this music. He was so caught up in the beginning notes that he almost missed it when the man began to sing. 'You know the day destroys the night; Night divides the day.' The second the words began to pour forth, Lucas knew he was in love. In that moment, he filled a hole in his life that until that second he had not realized existed.  He had gone fourteen years without music without ever knowing what he was missing but now that he knew he would never been complete without it. 'Try to run; Try to hide; Break on through to the other side.' The pure emotions in the lyrics touched him. The anger and the frustration behind the words were palpable. Here was a man pouring his soul into these words. As the song died away, Lonnie stopped the CD.

"Did you like it?" He nodded frantically wanting to cry all over again at being unable to express how much he liked it. Lonnie read some of his thoughts as they were flickering across his face. "Jim Morrison has that effect on a lot of people," she said with a brief smile. "The Doors have been disbanded for over forty-five years and their music is still loved."

Lonnie continued playing music for him. She made sure to put on a variety of styles for him to listen to. He liked the rock and blues music the best but still preferred the first group to the subsequent ones. She had been through most of her collection sampling songs off of each CD when he first noticed the LED display on her CD player. The lights on the display raced in time with the music. He realized that the display was somehow reading the frequency or base of the music. 

The idea of the display nagged at him and he frowned. He looked back at Darwin remembering his earlier thought. 'There must be another way.' He knew that dolphins communicated using sound. He wondered if he could make a display that showed the patterns in their speech. OK, so he would be able to see Darwin's speech. Then what? Patterns! He could match the patterns to words the way the display matched the lights to parts of the song. His mind flew a mile a minute thinking of ways that he could find patterns. Lonnie and the music forgotten for the moment, he hurried out of the room. He was eager to get to his computer and start looking up texts to see if his idea had any scientific basis. 

"What was that all about?" asked Lonnie staring at the door Lucas had just exited. Darwin chattered back to her. He did not know either. Shrugging, she began picking up her music collection. Making a mental note to make copies of her Doors CD's, she also left the room.

[Scene Change]

"So why'd you come to America?" asked Bridger after learning that Kristin was originally from England. 

"Well," she said taking a sip of her coffee. "I wanted to be a doctor and some of the best medical schools in the country were making me very nice offers. I originally planned to go back to England after I graduated but then I got married and had kids. By the time they were grown up, I had already found my calling here."

"Where are they now?" They were sitting at the table in his quarters having a nice cup of coffee to end a lovely evening. 

"My oldest, Cynthia, rebelled by moving away as soon as she was old enough to move out. She keeps in contact with her father's family so I know that she's OK but other than that I'm not sure where she's at or what she's doing." She sighed sadly. "I guess I smothered her too much while she was growing up."

"We all make mistakes," he said softly.

"My youngest daughter, Amy, was killed in a car accident with her father when Cynthia was only ten. I was so afraid of losing her too that I just did not know how to give her the freedom she needed. And so I lost both of my babies." She reached up and wiped away a tear. Kristin laughed, sniffling. "I don't know why I am telling you all of this. I'm sorry to be such a bore."

"No, don't apologize. I understand. I've lost a wife and a son, my self."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We all make mistakes," he repeated staring off into space.

"So why the military?"

"My father was career military and I was raised in a very patriotic family. There was never any question as to what I would do when I grew up."

"Did you ever regret your decision?"

"I regret some of the consequences of my decision but I am proud to serve my country. I am proud that I am part of the men who keep her safe."

"Working on Seaquest has certainly been one of the most unique jobs I've ever had."

"You're welcome to make the position a permanent one."  Briefly her face-hardened and she looked like she was going to say something but changed her mind.

"Can we discuss this at some other time? I've had such a lovely evening and I don't want to ruin it."

"Of course," he replied. "I'm sorry I brought it up." Setting his empty cup on the table, he stood stretching lightly. Nathan placed a CD in his stereo and soft, slow music filled the room. "Would you like to dance?" he asked her. 

"Yes," she breathed softly, kicking off her shoes. Grasping her hand and placing a hand on her waist, he held her close to him. Content with just enjoying each other's company, they danced on into the night.

[Scene Change]

"I had a great time tonight," she said as they stopped in front of her door.

"So did I, Jaimee." Tony leaned forward kissing her gently. She sighed softly as they separated.

"If I wasn't leaving tomorrow, I'd invite you in," she said sliding her hand down his shirt.

"I, uh, well, um," flustered he could not think of a response. She laughed causing him to turn bright red.

"You're a sweetheart, Tony Piccolo," she said giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the wonderful evening," she continued more seriously.

"You're welcome and thank you, too." She kissed him one last time before sliding regretfully into her room. Closing her door, she slid down to the floor with a sigh. When he stopped being so flustered around women, that man was going to be a heartbreaker. 

Tony stared at her door with a slight grin on his face. He still did not have a clue how to act around women but one thing was certain. He was really looking forward to getting more practice. Whistling, he turned around and headed off to find his bed.

[Scene Change]

"So did you have fun?" asked Miguel as he pulled off his shoes.

"It was OK," answered Tim refusing to admit that he had enjoyed himself.

"OK?" repeated Miguel with a smirk. "Is that why you were smiling and laughing the whole evening?"

"You were watching me?"

"Always." Tim looked up to meet his eyes. He smiled then hung his dress jacket up in the closet. 

"All right, I'll admit it. I had fun." 

"Told you," gloated Miguel removing his tie and unbuttoning the first two buttons of his collar.

"It still could have been better."

"Really?" 

"Uh-huh." 

"Well, I'll just have to fix that," replied Miguel moving to put his arms around Tim. He pressed the button on their remote and the smooth sounds of jazz filled the room. "How's this?"

"Much better," murmured Tim. Like Kristin and the Captain and other pairings all over the ship, they moved together, dancing until dawn. 

AN: Thanks to Joxer for the Darwin idea. I had been weighing other options but yours was the one that made it onto paper. The idea behind Lucas's brainstorming is based on an explaination of how he made the vocorder that I read in a fic once. I hope the original owner does not mind me using it. 


	11. Chapter Ten

AN:  Sorry for the long delay. I was side tracked by another story and schoolwork. This part is a bit slow but things are going to pick up. Since it has been so long, I thought I would review.

The year is 2018 and the world has been at war for the past 15 years. Slavery is a growing trade and slave ships and pirate ships rule the ocean. SeaQuest was sent out to free the waters from their control. When a slave hacker named Lucas leaked information, SeaQuest was able to bust a major slaver meet freeing thousands of slaves. Many of these slaves came aboard SeaQuest to be transported to other cities to begin their new lives. Most of the slaves departed in New Haven but some remain to depart in the Carolinas or Washington, DC. The children, including Lucas, are bound for Washington. Lucas's situation is complicated by the fact that he has won over the hearts of many of the crew and the fact that he helped save SeaQuest during a previous battle by defeating the opposing hackers.

"Hey, sweety," said Wendy as Lucas timidly peaked into Medbay. He waved to her cutting off his walkman. The small appliance had rarely left his side since Lonnie had given it to him. He surrounded himself with music whenever possible. "Are you here for your check-up?" asked Wendy.

Lucas nodded.

"Kristin's in with another patient. She won't be able to see you right now. You can either wait until she's finished or let me do the exam." Lucas stood wavering between the two options. It was his eagerness to get back to his research that eventually made him decide on letting Wendy perform the exam. He followed her back to one of the examination rooms and had a seat on the table.

"So how have you been doing, Lucas? Any dizziness? Shortness of breath? Pain anywhere?" He shook his head no to all of the questions. She took his pulse and blood pressure. "All right. Time to take off your shirt." He slowly, reluctantly removed his shirt.

"Wow. Those are mighty impressive scars," she said when he shifted uncomfortably. He looked down at them considering them again then grinned up at her. She noted that he was sitting up straighter. She realized that he had probably been self-conscious of the scars. She ran her finger lightly against the shiny, pink, scar tissue that marked where they had entered the boy's chest. She watched his face carefully for any signs of discomfort but the scars were no longer tender. He squirmed when she pressed the cold stethoscope against his chest listening to his heart and lungs. "Everything sounds great. All we have left to do is weigh you." 

Lucas pulled his shirt back on and silently followed her over to the scale. He watched her face intently as she pulled the weights across the measure. Her face fell as she recorded the final value. "You've lost weight again," she said softly. He hung his head feeling bad for upsetting her. 

"What's wrong, Lucas? Have you been getting sick? Are you just not eating as much?" He just shrugged. "All right," she said patting him on the shoulder. "You can go. Kristin might want to see you later about your weight but for now you're free." He slinked out of Medbay not even bothering to cut on his music. 

[Scene Change]

"Captain? Can I speak with you for a moment?" asked Katie knocking on his office door. 

"Of course. What can I do for you, Commander?" He waved for her to enter the room.

"Sir, I was wondering what is going to happen to Lucas when we reach Washington."

"I do not know. I have invited the Doctor to stay aboard with him but she seems determined to leave."

"So she'll be allowed to keep him?"

"Probably not. She has no legal claim on him and the higher ups are eager to test his talents," he replied shaking his head. He knew that Dr. Westphalen was deluding herself but there was nothing that he could do about it. 

"Sir! You can't let that happen!" she exclaimed at his apathy.

"Once he leaves SeaQuest, I have no control over the situation."

"So keep him here," she said as though it was the most obvious explanation. "He's been traumatized and abused his entire live. He'll never get a chance to heal and have a normal life if he becomes government property."

"He is unable to care for himself, Commander. We do not have the manpower to baby-sit him."

"I'd be happy to accept responsibility for him," she said leaping on the opportunity. 

"I just think he is too much for one person," he said shaking his head.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong but I do not think you realize just how attached your crew has become to Lucas. I would have no shortage of volunteers to help out with him. He's done wonders for the moral and he's already saved us once. I don't understand why you aren't trying harder to keep him!"

"Does the rest of the crew feel as strongly about this as you do?"

"I haven't asked them but I think most of them would agree with me."

"Very well," he replied with a sigh. He knew that the hacker would be a valuable addition to his crew. If they felt so strongly about him, he owed it to the crew to try and keep him. "I will speak to my superiors about him being allowed to stay here."

"Thank you! Thank you very much," she said beaming.

"Do not get your hopes up too much," he warned. "The boy is in high demand. They may not let us have him."

"I understand," she said somberly. 

"I would prefer to have someone else in charge of the boy. Speak with Dr. Westphalen. Try to convince her to stay if he does."

"She's not going to be happy with you. She doesn't understand that they won't let her keep him."

"It's your job to explain it to her. I'll deal with her temper," he added shuddering mentally. He really did need to start locking his door when he went to sleep at night.

[Scene Change]

Lucas sat in the corner of the room watching the children play. He had intended to go back to work on his formulas but he had found himself unable to concentrate after leaving the MedBay.  He hated that he had let everyone down again. He had not meant to miss any meals but he had and now Wendy was disappointed with him. He knew that Kristin was going to be disappointed with him too when she found out the news. 

He turned up the volume of the music trying to drown out the sound of the others playing. Lucas was still prohibited from running and none of the children had wanted anything to do with him. A few of them seemed to be afraid of him. They kept staring at The Mark on his cheek. The rest of them just ignored him or teased him because he couldn't talk. Still prohibited from running, he could not participate in most of their games anyway. He wished there had been another hacker in the group but most of the children were too young. It did not really matter. They would all be gone when they reached Washington. Lucas shivered wondering what was going to happen to him.  The rapidly approaching city seemed like a frightening black void of uncertainty. He did not know what the future was going to hold but he had a feeling he was not going to like it.

[Scene Change]

"Kristin, could I speak with you for a moment?" asked Katie hesitantly.

"Sure, Katie. I was just leaving for lunch. Why don't you join me?"

"I just ate but I'll come along."

"So what did you want to see me about?" she asked as they sat down at a secluded table in the corner of the mess hall. 

"It's about Lucas. We'll be arriving in Washington soon."

"I know," she said smiling.

"I don't think you understand what is going to happen if he leaves SeaQuest. They aren't going to allow you to keep him."

"I'll adopt him just like people will be adopting the other children," she insisted stubbornly.

"Lucas isn't like the other children! He's a hacker! They won't let him be adopted."

"No one is taking Lucas from me."

"You won't have a choice," she said softly. "I don't want to see that happen to him." She took a deep breath then continued. "I have spoken with the Captain and asked him to make arrangements for Lucas to stay here."

"Why would you do that?" she asked hurt.

"I don't want to take Lucas away from you. He needs you. But I can't let them take him."

"They. Them. Secret government agencies," mimicked Kristin.

"This isn't a joke!" cried Katie exasperated. "These aren't conspiracy theories. This is a fact. The government is going to take him away and I can't let that happen!"

"Why do you believe that? I can see why the government would want him but I can't believe that they would keep him from being adopted."

"Come with me," said Katie gently. She knew that it was better to discuss this in private. She led the way to her quarters. After they had re-settled themselves, she began, "Our government has changed tremendously over the years. Individual rights are no longer a guarantee. If it helps keep the general public safe, people are willing to turn the other cheek."

"Shouldn't there be something to stop it?"

"The press is a very powerful tool in keeping the public informed. Unfortunately, what we know our enemies know too. Many of the government operations are kept in absolute secrecy.  The media is under strict government controls. It is for our own protection so no one complains. The problem is that there is no one to keep the government in under control." She paused letting Dr. Westphalen adjust to the information. "Do you know Seaman Piccolo?"

"I believe so. Why?"

"Tony is part of a government experiment. He was selected because his genetic make-up matched the profiles suggested for the project. He was not given a choice about participating in the experiment. As an experiment, he can not be an American citizen. He has no rights."

"That's horrible! Why aren't people doing something about it?"

"Most people don't know. This is classified information. Most of the people in his project are never allowed to leave the compound where they were created. Tony is one of the lucky ones. Fortunately for him, SeaQuest is considered protected custody."

"Is that what you think will happen to Lucas?" she asked softly. 

"Yes, I do. He's not just any hacker, Kristin. He's the best I've ever seen. He can do things I've never heard of anyone doing. And he has the tattoo. You aren't going to be able to hide the fact that he's a hacker. He'll be a target for the rest of his life."

"Then they'll just be protecting him?"

"That's part of it. If they have Lucas in custody, no one else will be able to use him against us. They also can't wait to see what he can do. They've already heard about him saving SeaQuest and leaking the information on the meet. From what the Captain said, there are a lot of people interested in Lucas."

"Including him," she said sourly. "I am not going to let Lucas be treated like a commodity. He is a child. He is a hurt, traumatized, little boy. He is staying with me."

"We aren't trying to take him away from you, Kristin. We are just trying to keep him here. You are welcome to stay here with him."

"Like you said, SeaQuest is considered protective custody. Sorry, I'm not interested." She stood to leave.

"Please reconsider," begged Katie. 

"Lucas needs a normal life. You can't give that to him here." Shaking her head, Kristin left the room. Sighing, Katie buried her face in her hands.

[Scene Change]

"Hey, darling," said the distinguished looking man on the screen. Lonnie looked up from the tests she was been grading. She had spent the day testing many of the children trying to determine what grade they should enter.

"Hello, Daddy," she replied stiffly. 

"You'll be in port soon. You will come visit won't you?"

"We have not been informed as to whether we will be getting shore leave or not."

"I'll just give Captain Bridger a call. I'm sure something can be arranged."

"Father! You can't keep doing this!"

"Lenore, that's enough," he said sternly. "Your mother misses you. You will be coming home to see her."

"Yes, Father," she whispered lowering her head. After a few minutes of silence, she raised her eyes to meet the blank screen. She blinked rapidly fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. When she had herself under control, she left for her shift on the bridge. As she settled into her seat, she wished that she could avoid Washington all together. Nothing good was going to come of her shore leave there. 


	12. Chapter Eleven

AN: Thanks to Dusk for letting me bounce ideas off of her. Thanks to Teresa, krystalrain, Katie, Joxer, Purple Penguin, Bunny Dee, T, Lisette, reader #212, Gina, GraciePixie, and lucidityditz for their reviews.

As soon as Wendy fell asleep, the dream began. 'Not again!' she thought trying desperately to wake up. Knowing she was dreaming did not help her and she was forced to wait as the familiar scenes unfolded.

Darkness surrounded her swirling in clouds of confusion and despair. Voices called out to her, commanding her to obey them. She spun around trying to identify the voices. They were so familiar. She felt like she should know who they were but again their identity eluded her. She listened harder, fighting growing panic. She could not understand the voices. She did not know what they wanted her to do!

"I don't understand! I don't understand!" she cried terrified of what they were going to do to her for disobeying. They moved closer growing louder but no more comprehensible. They shouted their unintelligible words at her until they echoed in her head. The pressure within her head built steeping higher and higher until she bolted.

The darkness lightened until she could see the maze that surrounded her. Hands reached out to grab her as she ran by them. She could feel pursuers behind her as she ran. She randomly chose directions as she flew through the crossroads never daring to look behind her for fear that they might be gaining on her. She burst out of the maze into a blood red room. The only sound in the room was of her panting. A black-cloaked figure slowly moved out from the shadows and into the light. His shoes clicked softly in time to her heartbeat.

"You," stated the figure raising his arm and pointing a single beefy finger in her direction. His voice gave her chills, raising the hair on her arms. "You did this."

She stepped back in horror as he threw of his cloak. His pasty white flesh was waxy looking and he seemed to glow in the darkened room. His decaying rags could not hide his gluttonous form. He leered at her, taking a step towards her. She backed away slowly unable to look away from his vacant, dead eyes. Hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her kicking and screaming into the darkness. He laughed sadistically bathing her in icy terror. Slowly, a gate of iron bars began to swing shut. Desperately, she struggled to get away, knowing that if the gate closed then she would die. Creaking, the gate inched closer. Almost there. Closer. Closer. She was out of time. It was-

[Scene Change]

"Bill, don't give me the run around," argued Bridger annoyed. He paced in front of the vid-screen. He stopped and met his oldest friend's gaze. "Look, just tell me. Does Wolenczak get to remain on SeaQuest?"

"Nathan, I wish I had an answer for you but this is not a simple matter."

"What is the issue? Either he stays or he doesn't."

"You have a boy who could potentially be one of the best hackers in the world. He would be a very valuable addition to any government agency. Everyone wants him."

"So you are saying no."

"No," replied the Admiral shaking his head. "You know how bureaucracy works. Each organization wants the boy but at the same time most of them desperately want to keep the boy away from their competitors. There are a lot of supporters for the idea of placing him on SeaQuest simply because the move would keep him away from rival agencies. If the boy sets foot off of SeaQuest, he will be claimed by the first agency to get their hands on him and that will end the controversy. Otherwise, things are at a stale mate. In the end, there is a good chance that he will be allowed to remain on SeaQuest because no one could decide who should get him if he is removed from the vessel."

"So you are saying maybe. Great." Bridger ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "Thanks anyway, Bill. I know you tried."

"I'm sorry I couldn't have an answer for you yet. Just remember to keep him on the boat."

"I understand. When are the men coming to collect the children?"

"They should have already arrived. It will take a few days before all of the kids are moved."

"We'll be docked for at least a week just waiting on supplies and repairs. Transporting all of those people has decimated our stores." Bridger flipped through the printouts on his desk of all the items on order.

"So you'll have time to come for a visit. Janet will be excited to see you." Bridger glanced towards the door and noticed Dr. Westphalen waiting outside the doorway.

"Tell her I look forward to some of her delicious cooking," he said waving the doctor into the room. "I'm sorry to cut this short but I have things I need to take care of."

"I understand. Just give me a call when you want to come over."

"All right. Bye." 

"Bye." He cut the connection and turned to face Dr. Westphalen.

Hi," he said smiling at her pleasantly.

"Are you keeping him?" she asked skipping the pleasantries.

"It's still up in the air. For now it looks like he'll be staying here."

"Why didn't you inform me of this earlier?" she demanded.

"It was Lt. Commander Hitchcock's idea. I felt it best that she inform you."

"Fair enough," she nodded grudgingly. She crossed her arms. "Here's a better question. Why are you trying to keep Lucas?"

"The Commander felt that his well being would be jeopardized if he was taken in by the government. She asked me to help him and I agreed to try." He turned away from her taking a seat behind his desk. She watched him silently with her lips pressed thin in anger.

"So you are telling me that you are bringing a child to live on a war vessel for his own protection?"

"Yes, ma'am. I am."

"Some how I don't quite believe that. I'm sure the fact that he's a hacker never crossed your mind. I'm sure the fact that you can get free labor out of him without anyone protesting did not cross your mind either."

"I'll admit that having Wolenczak aboard will be a valuable addition to the crew.  I would not have asked to have him remain here if I thought he was going to be a liability or a drain on our resources."

"His well being means nothing to you. You view him as a commodity just as much as any of the government bigwigs."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," answered Bridger unbothered by her opinion. "The child has a good rapport with my crew. He will be well taken care of by them."

"Unless you order them not to," she spat hiding the instant wince of guilt that occurred. Kristin knew that the crew would not do anything to hurt Lucas. She wished she could say she felt the same about the Captain. "I have half a mind to bring him with me and take my chances."

"You're welcome to kidnap him. We'll see how far you get before you are caught and he is taken away," challenged Bridger sarcastically. She glared at him making him wish that he had better control of his temper around the beautiful doctor. 

"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," she replied with a terrifyingly pleasant smile. "No. I think I'll just stick around so that I can keep an eye on you."

"Do you really think I'm that horrible?" he asked sincerely. "Do you really believe that I would abuse that boy?"

"No," she answered. "I don't believe that you would intentionally abuse Lucas."

"Then why this whole argument?" 

"You're the Captain. You have to view people according to their skills and use them accordingly. You'll forget that Lucas is a child with special needs. Someone needs to be here to keep you from over working him or sending him into situations he can't handle. That person is me."

"That's fair enough. I can't say that I'm sorry you'll be staying with us. You have a tendency to bring out the worst of my personality but you're an excellent doctor and a great dancer." He smiled at her holding out a hand. "Welcome aboard, Doctor."

"Thank you, Captain," she said with a smile completing the handshake.

[Scene Change]

"Please pass the quiche," asked her mother from the end of the table. Lonnie gently set down her wine glass and handed the dish to her mother. While the conversation had remained polite, the entire dinner was a reminder of why she had hated eating with her parents as a child. The mahogany dining table was draped in white lace with candles arranged in a centerpiece. She could barely pick up her food for fear that she would drop something and ruin the wood. The crystal and fine china only made the dinner that more unsettling.

"Is something wrong, Lenore? You aren't eating very much."

"I'm fine, Father. I'm just not very hungry. I went out to lunch with some of the crew earlier."

"You should have told us," admonished her mother. "We would have told Douglas not to prepare as much."

"I'm sorry, Mother. I did not think it would be a problem."

"It's just one meal," answered her father ending the discussion. "So. How do you like SeaQuest?"

"The past few months have certainly been exciting," she answered truthfully. "I think we'll all miss having the children aboard. I have been helping test them so they can start school right away."

"But I thought you were supposed to be flying around in the water," replied her mother confused.

"Your mother's right. You joined the Navy to be a pilot not to tutor orphaned slaves. Why weren't you fulfilling your duties as a pilot?"

"I have been prohibited from using the fighters," admitted Lonnie softly.

"What did you do wrong?"

"I disobeyed my superior and endangered his life because I went into battle before I was ready," she whispered staring at her lap. She did not have to look up to feel her father's disappointment. 

"I see," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Why weren't you ready?"

"I need more practice before my skills are sufficient for battle."

"You graduated at top of your class. You do not need more practice."

"My superiors feel otherwise."

"Then maybe you shouldn't stay on SeaQuest." She looked up at her father with a panicked expression on her face. 

"But."

"Don't you want to pilot?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then it's settled. I'll make the arrangements to have you moved somewhere they'll be more appreciative of your skills."

"Yes, sir," she whispered defeated. She had hated being assigned to SeaQuest but now the thought of leaving made her want to cry. Silently, she picked up her fork and began nudging the food around her plate for the remainder of the meal. 

[Scene Change]

Wendy took another swallow of her coffee and rubbed her forehead. She had a headache from all the caffeine she had been consuming the past few days but it was the only thing that was keeping her awake. Even with the constant coffee, her head felt fuzzy and dull from the fatigue.

"What's wrong?" asked Kristin taking a seat beside her.

"Just tired," she replied massaging her temples. 

"Rough day?"

"No. I just haven't been sleeping well."

"I know what you mean. I'd kill for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes having Lucas in there is as bad as keeping an infant."

"What do you mean? Lucas is very well mannered."

"He has nightmares. I keep having to get up and wake him. He woke me up three times last night before he finally gave up on trying to sleep."

"He has my complete sympathy. I've been plagued with bad dreams since the slavers' meet so I know how he feels. I didn't get any rest last night because every time I fell asleep I had another nightmare."

"Sounds like Lucas," she nodded. "You must be exhausted. Why don't you take the afternoon off to go relax and take a nap? I can cover for you in Medbay."

"Oh, thank you! You are such a saint." Wendy smiled gratefully as she got up and left the room in search of a soothing, hot shower.

[Scene Change]

Jeremiah Kinsport looked over the crowd of children standing before him and stifled a yawn. He was bored out of his mind. This was not what he had expected to be doing when he joined the Navy. "Next."

"Anna Lee." The young girl watched him warily through her hair.

"Age?" he asked uninterested as he wrote down her name on the list.

"Twelve." He waved her on to join the line of children behind him.

"Next." A younger version of the first girl stepped up to take her place. "What's your name?"

"Becca," she said taking her thumb out of her mouth long enough to speak. At the sound of her voice there was a rustling behind him. He spun around catching movement out of the corner of his eye. He moved closer and saw a boy trying to hide behind some equipment.

"Whoa. Where do you think you're going?" He reached down and grabbed the boy's wrist pulling him out of the small space. The boy stared up at him with wide frightened eyes. "What's your name?" he asked roughly causing the boy to flinch. The child shook his head stubbornly refusing to answer. 

'Typical hacker,' thought Jeremiah staring at the boy's tattoo. A tug on his pants diverted his attention to the little girl who was clinging to his pant leg.

"Dat's Wucas," she said pointing. "He don't talk."

"Wonderful," he muttered writing down the name. "All right, kid. Go stand in line. We'll let head quarters worry about finding your identity."

"Wucas's nice," chattered the little girl as he watched to make sure the boy stayed in line. "So sad," she said shaking her head to herself. "Doctor Wady neber let him pway wid us."

"That's nice," answered Jeremiah absently. The hacker moved down the line that led off of the boat. As the boy disappeared into one of the waiting transports, Jeremiah turned back to the girl. "All right. What's your name again?"


	13. Chapter Twelve

"Lieutenant Anderson, I have a very important mission for you."

"Yes, sir," said the soldier standing at attention in front of his superior. The large general leaned forward and handed him a picture.

"You are going to retrieve this boy. Our sources say that he is currently being held at St. Teresa's with at least a hundred other children who were brought in by SeaQuest. He's a highly sought after hacker. Find him before one of our competitors does."

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant saluted then hurried out of the room on his way down to the Catholic boarding school on the south side of town. He had no idea how long it would take him to weed through all of the children and he dared not fail.

 [Scene Change]

Kristin looked around Lucas's empty room growing more worried by the second. She had planned on having dinner with Lucas but he had never shown up in the mess hall. She had already checked the moonpool where Lucas spent most of his time playing with Darwin. Since he was not there, she had expected him to be in his room but he was not. She did not know where he was at and it was making her very uneasy.

"Katie," she asked flipping on her PAL. "Have you seen Lucas?" 

"No, I haven't seen him."

"I don't know where he could be."

"Don't worry," she reassured Kristin. "I'll ask the guys if they know where he's at and if they don't know we'll come down and help you look."

"Thank you so much," replied Kristin with relief. She moved out of Lucas's room and sat down in a chair confident that one of the crew would know where Lucas was located. A couple minutes later there was a knock on her door. Kristin opened the door revealing Katie's worried face.

"None of us have seen him today. They're going to ask the rest of the crew. Is there anywhere in particular he likes to go?"

"I've already checked the moonpool and his room. The only other place he liked to go was to watch the children but they're all gone now. I don't know where he could be!"

"I think we need to go talk to the Captain," said Katie giving Kristin a reassuring squeeze on her arm. She drug her down the hall until they were outside the Captain's office. She knocked. The door opened instantly revealing an unhappy looking Captain.

"Lucas is no longer aboard SeaQuest," he said surprising them.

"We can't find him," admitted Katie. "We were hoping you could help. How did you know?"

"I told him," said Admiral Noyce from the vid-screen. Kristin jumped in surprise noticing him for the first time.

"So you'll be able to help us get him back?" asked Kristin looking between the two men.

"I'm sorry but it's too late," said Bridger. "He was safe as long as he was on SeaQuest but once he left he was up for grabs."

"Section Seven has him now," finished Noyce. "They aren't going to give him up. There's nothing you can do."

[Scene Change]

"So you're Lucas," said General Thomas lounging in his chair. Lucas nodded trembling, too frightened to look up. "Don't worry. I won't bite," leered the man unsympathetically. "You're going to be very useful."

"You wanted to see me?" asked a man poking his head into the room. Lucas looked up watching him. The man was tall and lanky with unkempt, dark, brown hair. He noticed that Lucas was watching him and grinned before turning his attention back to the General.

"Glad you could join us," said Thomas sourly. "This is Lucas Wolenczak. You're responsible for her. Get him settled then give him the tests."

"You're the boss," he replied bowing mockingly. "Come on, kid." Lucas glanced questioningly at the burly General before following the jovial man out the door. They marched silently through the hallways stopping in front of the laundry area. 

"Hey! Look! Fresh mean!" exclaimed the worker manning the room.

"Don't frighten him, Frank," admonished the man.

"Aw, Mycroft, you're not fun!" Lucas stared at his guide open-mouthed. Mycroft was one of the most infamous hackers in the last twenty years. He could not believe that this man was the legend he had heard so much about during school. 

"Yeah, I'm Mycroft," he admitted laughing at Lucas's surprise. Lucas looked at Mycroft's bare left cheek and cocked his head in confusion. "I'm self taught," he explained. "No one to brand me." He shrugged. "The govies probably want to but they can't as long as they keep sending me undercover."

"So what do you two need?" asked Frank unimpressed with Mycroft's position.

"Lucas, here" he replied clasping a hand on Lucas's shoulder," needs some clothing."

"What size do you wear?" Lucas blinked at him uncomprehendingly. 

"You don't know what size you wear?" Lucas shook his head no.

"You're a quiet one," commented Mycroft checking the tag on Lucas's shirt. "Try medium. It won't matter if it's a bit big on him."

Frank went back into the storeroom and came back with a couple pair of grey sweatpants and several t-shirts. Lucas carried his new clothing following behind Mycroft as they continued through the building. The stopped again in from of a metal door. Lucas peaked through the window while Mycroft unlocked the door. The Spartan room contained only a metal cot and toiletries in the corner. It reminded Lucas of one of his former cells.

"This is where you'll be living," said Mycroft. "Change into your new clothes and I'll take you down to the labs." Lucas stepped into the room and began to strip unbothered by Mycroft's presence in the open doorway. When he was redressed, he looked at Mycroft and pointed at his shoes questioningly. "Do you ever talk?"

Lucas shook his head. "That's odd. Well, don't worry about the shoes. You won't be needing them here." Lucas shrugged and padded down the hall after Mycroft. He waited patiently as they passed through the security checks to enter the computer labs.

"I know you have experience with man to man so we'll start with that first," said Mycroft moving to stand by a pair of isolated computers. "I'll take the offensive first then you'll attack me and we'll see what you can do. Understand?"

Lucas nodded hesitantly eyeing the computer. This was the first time he had been allowed near a computer since he had been taken from SeaQuest. He wondered if any of them missed him. From some of the guard's take during the ride to this building, he had gotten the impression that his leaving SeaQuest had been unplanned. He sat down and began the coding to hack into the mainframe. Mycroft stood back watching him allowing him to familiarize himself with the system. He would not have time to get into any of the secured files with him watching but then the ones he wanted were not secured. Looking around, he saw a hole that might just let him get a message out to his friends.

"Ready?" asked Mycroft taking a seat. Lucas nodded decisively. He began typing furiously building static defenses that would help delay Mycroft's attacks long enough for him to compose the program for his message. Almost as soon as the defenses went active, Mycroft's attacks went live. Had it not been for the situation, Lucas would have found the stimulating challenge enjoyable. As it was, he was defending himself by instincts alone. He typed in the last line of his message program then focused all of his resources on defending.  He barely held off the latest attack but switched immediately to the offensive.  Startled, Mycroft was not able to defend against his sudden attack and he cut the power to Mycroft's computer just as the alarms began to blare. The arrival of a dozen armed guards was the first sign Lucas had that maybe sending a message had not been the best idea.

[Scene Change]

"I received this file half an hour ago. It contains the floor plans and access codes for the building where Lucas is being held," stated Katie opening a folder in front of her.

"Why haven't you taken this to the Captain? Why are we meeting in your quarters?" asked Jim bewildered.

"The Captain knows. He knows we're in here. He just can't do anything about it. His hands are tied gentlemen. If we go after Lucas, we have to do it on our own. That's why we are meeting here. I'm asking for volunteers. If we can get Lucas back here, the Captain has promised to do everything in his power to protect him. But we have to get him here first."

"I'll lead," volunteered Jim.

"I'd be a better choice," argued Miguel. Jim looked at him evenly then nodded.

"Why isn't Ford here?" questioned Ben.

"It would be too risky for Jonathan to go. He's too high up the chain of command," answered Katie.

"Will five be enough?" asked Tim.

"We can't all go. We need officers here on the boat."

"I'll call Henderson back from shore leave. That should solve the shortage of officers," offered Jim.

"What if we bring in a few of the crew?  I'm sure some of them would volunteer."

"Just one," said Miguel not glancing up from the schematics. "I want to keep the team small. I'd do it with five but we may need someone to carry Lucas if he can't keep up. Hitchcock, is there one of your pilots who would volunteer that you trust to send on the mission?"

"Tony Piccolo," she answered without pause. 

"Call him up and get him in here," ordered Miguel. He continued to scour the floor plans as he waited. "All right, here's what we are going to do," he said once Tony had arrived. "First of all, this is a government agency. We are not going up against the enemy. You will carry a tranquilizer gun or nothing at all. Jim and Tim, you will leave ahead of us in a cab. You will have to get into position to provide cover for us. The rest of us will arrive fifteen minutes later and park here." He pointed to the map. "We will go in together. Jim will be stationed here. Your job is to make sure the car is ready for us to leave. Tim, you will have to get up high to cover us. Once we leave, you'll have to make your way on foot to here," he said pointing, "Where we'll pick you up." He glanced up to make sure everyone was following him.

"Gotcha," answered Tim surveying the map to pick out the best lookout. Jim nodded silently.

"What about everyone else?" asked Tony trying to grasp the plan. 

"You'll be with me. I'll take the lead. Tony, you'll be in the middle. You'll guard Lucas on the way out. Katie, you take the point. Ben, you can bring up the rear. I have no idea what the security is going to look like inside the building. It's probably going to be pretty tight even though this isn't their main base. We'll just have to play it by ear."

"Let's break. Go change. Make sure you aren't wearing anything from SeaQuest. We'll meet outside of ammunitions in half an hour," ordered Katie breaking up the meeting. 

[Scene Change]

"What did you send?" growled the general looming over Lucas. Lucas trembled slightly trying to back away from the man. Before he could move more than a step, he was grabbed by his shirt and slammed up against the wall. "What did you send!"

Lucas whimpered squirming. When he did not answer, the general slapped him. Lucas squeaked slightly from the force of the blow but did not react to the stinging of his cheek.

"Sir?" interrupted one of the guards. "Mycroft has finished with the file."

"Watch the boy," ordered General Thomas dropping Lucas in a heap on the floor. Gasping, Lucas lay still trying to calm himself. "What did he send?" demanded Thomas as he stepped out of the interrogation room.

"It appears to be a message. Probably something to SeaQuest. They won't be able to use anything he sent."

"You don't know what was leaked?" ask Thomas struggling to keep his calm. "Why?"

"The program was designed to corrupt itself once activation was complete. I have no way of telling exactly what was accessed or sent. It really is an ingenious program especially considering the circumstance." Mycroft could not help but admire Lucas's work.

"You may not but he can," responded Thomas whirling to re-enter the room. "I will not allow secrets to be sent outside this building."

Lucas was on his feet as the general came storming into the room. He clinched his fists fighting against panic. He could withstand this. This was going to be just like when he was in school. 'Pretend it's not real,' he told himself. 'This is just another training session.'

"Tell me what you sent," said Thomas trailing a finger along Lucas's jaw. Lucas stared back at him calmly refusing to be scared. The hand slipped lower tracing his throat gently. Suddenly, the hand clamped down shutting off Lucas's airflow. "Tell me." Lucas shook his head. His head pounded and he began to feel light-headed as his lips turned blue.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Mycroft. "If you kill him, you'll never find out what he sent."

"Do not presume to tell me what to do," growled Thomas as he released his grip. Lucas sank to his knees breathing in deep gulps of the cool sweet air. "Get up," ordered Thomas kicking Lucas. He groaned but managed to get on his feet.

"Tell him what he wants to know," pleaded Mycroft.

"Smyth, get me a dose of thiopental sodium. We'll get this out of him one way or another." He smiled at Lucas humorlessly while the guard jumped to obey the command. Lucas shivered knowing that the truth serum was going to be hell. Lucas tensed but did not resist as Thomas pulled back and pounded him in the stomach. He folded onto the floor as more blows rained down on him. He floated cocooned within himself safe from the pain. Dimly, he heard yelling. Hands shook him, pulling him back to himself as they threw cold water on him.

"Get him in the chair," ordered Thomas. Mycroft bent over him lifting gently. He whimpered slightly as the movement caused sharp stabs of pain to run shooting through his body. He licked his lips tasting the salty, metallic flavor of blood. Lucas blinked trying to see past the bright glare of the lights in his eyes. Beyond the pain, the sensations from his body were frighteningly numb. He knew that Mycroft was moving him into position but it was as if his body belonged to someone else. He was not sure but he thought that he might be going into shock. A shadow crossed his face and he looked up at the worried, creased face bending over him. There was a slight prick.

"He'll be feeling the affects of the drug any time now," stated the strange man. Lucas blinked feeling light-headed again.

"Lucas, can you tell us why you wrote the program?" Lucas turned to the voice marveling at how calm it was as compared to before. The general no longer sounded like he was out for blood. 

"Fa Kis'in," he murmured. For Kristin.

"Did you catch that?"

"No, I couldn't understand him."

"Lucas, could you repeat that again?" Lucas shook his head stubbornly. He was not going to answer any more questions. They always told him not to tell. 

"Lucas, what was in that file."

"Canta. Canta," he said. Can't tell. Never supposed to tell. Lucas shook his head trying to dislodge the haze that was drowning him. He could not focus. He could not remember where he was. He blinked as his vision became dim. 

'Being a hacker is not an easy profession,' lectured the man as he walked down the line of students. 'You have access to sensitive information. Information that could be very dangerous to your owner if it were to be divulged. This is why we have spent so much time teaching you to resist interrogation techniques. You must never tell what you have done. You must never leak information.'

"He's resisting the drugs. I don't think he's going to break." The medic checked the boy's dilated eyes before stepping out of the way to let Thomas resume.

"He'll tell. Keep questioning him. He'll tell."

'0917.' Lucas, 0916, glanced over at his roommate exchanging frightened glances. He could not look away as his friend was strapped down on the table. 0916 remained at his place in line watching helplessly as 0917 was tortured. The teachers beat the boy ordering him to tell them what file he had hacked for his last assignment. This was a test but it was also real. Failing this test could have deadly consequences.

"Lucas, what did you send to SeaQuest?"

"Canta. Canta. Canta."

'Can't tell. Can't tell,' chanted the boy writhing on the table. He began screaming and sobbing as they held glowing hot rods to his skin. 'I can't take it,' he sobbed. 'It was just a list of kitchen supplies! That's it! Just kitchen supplies!' 0916 stared in horror as his roommate broke.

'You have failed,' said the teacher sadly. The others stepped back away from the boy. Slowly, he raised his hand pointed the gun directly at 0917.

"What's going on?" demanded Thomas. Lucas was staring blankly into space. All of his muscles were tense and his back was arched up off of the chair. 

"I think he's having a seizure. You have to stop this interrogation."

"I need that information!"

The teacher's index finger gently pulled back the trigger. Deafening thunder. Water dripping. Blood pooling on the floor. Grey gelatinous material decorating the table. 0917's vacant eyes.

Lucas began to scream.

[Scene Change]

"May I speak with Ensign Henderson?"

"What do you need with my daughter?" demanded Admiral Henderson rudely.

"We need her back on SeaQuest," answered Jim apologetically.

"I'm sorry but my daughter will not be returning to that boat."

"Father? Who is on the vid-screen?" asked Lonnie entering the foyer. "Jim! Why are you calling?"

"Ensign Henderson," he answered glancing at her reprovingly for using his first name. "I'm sorry to shorten your shore leave but we need you back on SeaQuest."

"I was just telling him that you wouldn't be returning."

"Father, could I have a minute alone?" She waited until he had left the room. "Sorry about that. He found out that I have been suspended from piloting. He wants to move me to another boat."

"Do you want to go?" asked Jim trying not to be hurt by the news.

"No. Not really. But I don't think I have much choice." Jim frowned a minute thinking.

"Come back to SeaQuest for now. We'll talk about this in more detain and see what we can do about keeping you here." 

[Scene Change]

"We've got two channels, one for Jim and Tim and another for the whole group. Monitor the group channel but keep the comments to each other on the other channel. OK. Everyone check in." Tim and Jim were already in position but they were doing final checks before the next group arrived. 

"Brody."

"O'Neill."

"Hitchcock."

"Piccolo."

"Krieg."

"Ortiz. We're all set. We've arrived at the scene," he said to the other two. He looked around at his team. "This ride is about to depart. Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. Do not kill our fellow soldiers. Don't get dead and remember enjoy the ride." Miguel patted each member of his team on the shoulder as they exited the car. He glanced up not spotting Tim anywhere but knowing he was there.

"The north entrance is clear," came Tim's voice over the radio. The group walked calmly down the street as though they were just out for a day in the city. They walked up a block then circled back to the entrance. Katie pulled out her printout typing in the codes Lucas sent her. Silently, the door cycled open. They slipped inside. Miguel signaled for them to keep to the right. Guns held ready, they crept down the hall. They encountered no one as Katie fed the codes into the elevator to take them down two levels. 

Miguel crouched down rolling out of the elevator as the doors opened. Gun up, he scanned the hallway. He signaled behind him for the others to follow. As he turned the corner, several guards came marching from the opposite direction. He tried to duck back around the corner but they had already seen him. He got off one shot dropping the first soldier. 

"We've been spotted. Four guards. Three left."

"You have to reload. We'll roll out and take the others." Miguel hurried to pull out the next dart and load it. The others flipped into the hallway firing as they stopped. The other three guards slumped beside the first one.

"Our time is limited. They could have alerted others."

"We have to get to Lucas now."

"I know where he's at," said a man stepping out from an open door. He quickly raised his hands when four pair of guns pointed in his direction. "Relax. I want to help."

"Keep your hands where we can see them," growled Miguel. He came up behind the man pushing the mouth of the gun to his back. "Lead us. Now."

They followed the man down the hall. The other three quickly reloaded their guns keeping them ready for any more guards. He led them down one more floor to a small metal cell. Without waiting for their permission, he punched in the code to open the door. Slowly, it swung open revealing Lucas lying on a cot inside the room. Katie rushed to his side.

"What happened to him?" she demanded taking in the bruises and dried blood on his face and his open empty eyes. She touched his cheek trying to get him to respond but he stayed motionless. There was no flicker of awareness in his eyes.

"They interrogated him to find out what he sent to you. He resisted even with the truth serum then he freaked out. The medic said he thought it might have been a seizure but then he began screaming. They had to sedate him. That was almost an hour ago. He's been like this ever since." The man's recital was emotionless but it held regret.

"How could you let them interrogate him?! He can't even talk!" demanded Katie.

"He spoke. We just couldn't understand him. Got some kind of speech impediment." The man shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. We have to get him out of here. Tony, pick him up," ordered Miguel. Gently, Tony scooped the battered boy into his arms.  Lucas did not respond. He just kept staring into space. His arms hung limply dangling from Tony's grasp.

"I can lead you out," offered the man.

"We'd appreciate it," accepted Katie before Miguel could decline. The trip back to the ground floor was uneventful. It was almost anticlimactic. They did not see a single soul with the exception of the sleeping guards on the second level. They paused at the exit waiting for the street outside to empty.

"Who are you?" asked Ben. "Why are you helping us?"

"The name's Mycroft. I'm a hacker here."

"So why are you helping us?"

"Maybe I just don't want to see someone like Lucas trapped here like me."

"But you could leave." Mycroft shrugged. 

"Go before you get caught." Miguel nodded. 

"Thanks." They slipped out of the door hurrying down the street. Mycroft watched until Lucas's limp form disappeared from sight.

"Or maybe I just don't like the competition."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

"What did they do to him?" demanded Captain Bridger horrified.

"Interrogated him," answered Kristin grimly.

"What's wrong with him?" Lucas lay motionless under the light covers. His arms were pulled tight against his body and he was curled inward on his side. He blinked occasionally but he did not react to their presence. As disconcerting as his behavior was, the colorful bruises decorating the visible portions of his skin were enough to make Nathan feel ill. He'd seen men interrogated. He'd been interrogated but there was nothing comparable to seeing the effects on a child.

"Physically, he'll be fine. He had a displaced fracture in his fourth lumbar vertebrae that was pressing on some nerves but we managed to pin it back in place. He also has a bruised kidney, bruised ribs, and the various bruises you can see on his face, arms, and torso." Nathan glanced down at the boy again.

"And the rest of it?"

"We don't know," she admitted with a frustrated sigh. "It could be a reaction to the drugs. Maybe he has some kind of head injury that we can't detect at this time. Or maybe be a psychological response to the interrogation."

"Will he be O.K.?" 

"I hope so. He's in there. He's just not responding. He's completely catatonic." Kristin bent over gently smoothing the hair off of Lucas's forehead.

"Keep me updated," stated Nathan becoming uncomfortable with the situation. He turned to leave. 

"They're going to try and get him back." The statement was part question, part declaration.

"I know." He looked down at the boy again feeling every second of his old age.

"Are you going to stop them?" She sounded angry but her eyes, when he looked up to meet them, were pleading.

"I'm going to try," he promised. He hurried out of the room before she could ask him anything else. 

[Scene Change]

The room was white. There was no other way to describe it. The ceiling had white paneling. The floor was covered in white carpet. The walls were padded with white cloth covered foam. Even his outfit was white. Everything was white. The room was white and he was sick of it.

Lucas sat down closing his eyes to try and hide the hideous color. There was nothing to do here. He alternated between being bored and worrying about what they were going to do to him next. Picking at the carpet, he wondered again what had happened between the interrogation and when they'd put him in here. He had no memory of it. The color was driving him mad. He could not stand it. Just white. Nothing else. He wanted to beat his head against the wall. Maybe he would cut himself. Blood would be good. Blood's red. Red's not white. He could make color. Sighing, he pressed his face against the floor hoping they would let him out soon.

[Scene Change]

"Captain Bridger," greeted General Thomas watching the man on his vid-screen. "I believe you have a piece of my property."

"Do I? And what might that property be?"

"Don't play games! I know you took the boy."

"You mean the child you kidnapped?" asked Bridger smiling humorlessly. "Forgive me but I do not think you're in much of a position to make demands."

"The boy's mine," grinned Thomas. "The council just decided." He stared at the Captain smugly expecting an apology. Bridger's face hardened and he glared at the man stonily.

"I've seen what you did to him. You're not going to get your hands on Lucas again! He will not leave this boat."

"We'll see about that!" snapped Thomas closing the connection. Bridger glared at the offending screen one more time before reaching for his PAL. 

"Commander Ford, please recall all crewmembers from leave. As of now, no one is allowed off this boat and only our crew are allowed on her."

"Yes, sir. Is there trouble?"

"Not yet but I want us to be prepared. Stay alert." He cut the connection dialing for Lt. O'Neill. "Lieutenant, please connect me to Admiral Noyce." His picture slowly flickered into view.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," he said immediately. "There was nothing I could do."

"I'm not letting him go. He's not going back to those people."

"What do you mean back?" asked Noyce cautiously.

"He was taken when they unloaded the children. Section Seven had him. Some of the crew risked their career rescue him. They interrogated him, Bill. They beat and drugged a child. He's in medbay in some kind of coma."

"I didn't know that. Will he be OK?"

"Not if I send him back there. They'll kill him."

"What are you going to do, Nathan? The decision's been made."

"Well, they need to change their decision. As long as SeaQuest is under my command, the boy's not going anywhere."

"Think about what you're saying!" pleaded Noyce desperately. "Are you going to throw away your career over some boy?"

"If that's what it takes," vowed Bridger. "I can't send that boy to his death."

"This isn't Robert, Nathan. He's not going to his death. You don't have to 'save' him"

"I have to do this. I know you don't understand but I can't turn my back on this boy. You didn't see him. You didn't see what they did to him. I'm not sending him back there."

"I don't know if there is anything I can do to help you with this, Nathan. They can take SeaQuest away from you for this."

"I know. I just wanted you to know why. I need your support in this."

"I'll do what I can," promised Noyce giving in to the inevitable.

"That's all I could ask for," said Bridger smiling slightly at his oldest friend. He raised his hand in silent farewell then closed the connection. He sat down heavily at his desk. He was really putting his neck out there this time.

[Scene Change]

"Does anyone know what this meeting is about?" asked Tony sliding into his seat beside Ensign Henderson. The young officer glanced over at him with a serious expression.

"I'm not at liberty to say. All I can tell you is that we just had a meeting with the Captain and this is serious business." She straightened up in her seat as Lieutenant Brody marched into the room. A hush fell over the room. For once, SeaQuest's rumor mill was broken and not a soul knew the topic of the meeting in advance. All the crew knew was that it was big.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why you are here," started Brody standing in front of the group of pilots in training. "Managers are meeting with their divisions all over the boat. I am substituting for the Lt. Commander because she was needed down in Computers. Listen very closely because you are being called on to make a decision that will affect the rest of your life."

"As you all know, about a month or two ago we rescued a lot of slaves from a slavers meet. What you may not know is that the Intel that allowed us to make the bust was leaked to us by a fourteen-year-old boy. He was shot during the bust and almost died. On another occasion, he took over during battle after Commander Hitchcock was injured and single handedly prevented the enemy hackers from shutting down our life support. Although you may not know Lucas, he has saved all of your lives." Tony listened in awe to the things that the kid he'd rescued had done. He had seen the boy around but he had had no idea how important he was.

"Efforts were being made to keep Lucas aboard as a part of the crew when he became mixed in with the other slave children. He ended up in the custody of Section Seven. We initiated a rescue but found that his stay with them had been less than hospitable. He's currently catatonic in medbay as a result of being interrogated by them." Lonnie felt the man beside her shudder and wondered just what he had seen on the mission to rescue Lucas.

"You may be asking what this has to do with you. Here's the problem: our government has decided to give him back over to Section Seven even knowing what they will do to him. Captain Bridger is refusing to release Lucas. We may be ordered to relieve him of command but the officers are all behind him. We need to know if you are behind him as well. If you decide that you are not with us, you will be escorted off of SeaQuest but we will welcome you back once the situation has been resolved. If you decide to stay with us, you will be risking your career. You must be willing to go rogue if their decision doesn't change." The room was completely silent as they considered his words.

"Are there any questions?" No one raised their hand. "All right. I'm going to give you a few minutes to make your decision. If you decide that you can not risk it, please leave the room and begin gathering your things. We'll need you ready to leave when the final decision comes through. If you are with us, please remain in your seat." Everyone shifted around in their seat watching their neighbors wondering what they were going to choose. For a minute, no one stood but slowly a few individuals got up and trickled out the door. When Jim looked up from his watch five minutes later, the majority of the group had remained in their seats.

"OK, gang. We're just going to go over the current plans for the worst case scenario," he said continuing to lecture. For better or for worse, the crew was sticking together in this.

[Scene Break]

Wendy sat down at her computer more concerned with her patient than with all of the commotion that was taking place on SeaQuest today. She had been running a search for any articles or research containing the words: hacker, interrogation and catatonia.  So far the search was not giving her anything she could work with but she hoped that today would be different. Kristin and her were still befuddles as to the cause of Lucas's condition. Physically, they could find no explanation.

She perked up when she notice an article titled: Long term Effects of Conditioning among Freed Hackers. She quickly purchased the article from the journal and downloaded it to her computer. At first she was discouraged because the article focused on nightmares and personality traits experience by the former slaves but then at the end of the article she found her answer.

'Another unfortunate effect is that some schools plant dormant programs that can be triggered years later under specific circumstances. The most extreme case documented dealt with a thirty-year old banker who was a product of the prestigious Hacker's Guild. He was beaten in a mugging one night and the programming, that makes the hackers impossible to break during interrogation, was triggered. This trigger, used by the higher priced hacking schools when training slaves, causes the individual to become catatonic. If the owner reclaims the slave, the school will reverse the process with a preset code once the owner has shown proof of purchase. In the case of the banker, he had been freed and had no proof of purchase so there was no way to reverse the procedure. He is currently being cared for in an institution.'

Wendy read the paragraph horrified. This was clearly what had happened to Lucas. She fidgeted in her chair for several minutes debating the best course of action. She knew that Kristin would not react well to the news that there was nothing that could be done. As the boat's psychologist, Wendy had the best chance of solving the problem so she decided to do more research before bringing anyone else into the problem. Scrolling back up to the top of the page, she began skimming the article again.

[Scene Change]

Adam Weiss sipped his third cup of coffee of the day as he lounged in his chair watching the video from the surveillance cameras around the building. When he had first gotten the job, he had thought it would be exciting to work with security in the Pentagon but reality had been much different. He just sat here being bored watching over his wing. Glancing over at one of the monitors, Adam sat up straighter in his seat. He recognized the uniforms of almost a dozen organizations and divisions along with several he was unfamiliar with. He could not imagine why all of these people would be in the same room. Reaching across his console, he keyed for the sound in the room.

"You can not allow one man to bully us like this!" insisted one of the men, presumably the one that was currently standing.

"Captain Bridger does not have a history of pulling stunts. His record speaks for itself. Perhaps we listen to him."

"He's disobeying a direct order. He has no right to protest our decision."

"He's just asking that we reconsider the decision."

"He's demanding that we change our mind. He should be removed from command."

"I think he's right. The hacker should be placed in neutral custody." The volume in the room began to rise as people began speaking out of turn. The discussion was quickly deteriorating into a full-blown fight. Adam grinned, his boredom gone. He was definitely glad they had decided to have this meeting in one of the few rooms that were wired for sound.

"Enough." Silence fell as everyone turned to watch the speaker. "We will re-vote the decision. Say yay if you want the hacker to remain on SeaQuest or nay if you think Section Seven should keep him." Everyone went around the room speaking their vote. A quick tally was taken and the results were handed to the speaker. "The hacker stays with Section Seven." The screen in the room shimmered and a man appeared on it.

"Captain Bridger, we have reviewed our decision," stated the speaker. "You have exactly one hour to turn the hacker over to General Thomas."

"I refuse. The boy is not leaving SeaQuest."

"Then we have no choice but to remove you from command. Please summon the officers." Adam watched in amazement, as the Captain did not do so much as blink. He disappeared briefly from the screen then reappeared with several people standing behind him. "Commander Ford, you will now assume command of SeaQuest from Bridger. You will see to it that he is escorted to the brig until we take him into custody."

"No, sir."

"What do you mean 'no sir'?" asked the speaker sounding shocked.

"We stand behind Captain Bridger. Lucas Wolenczak will not be leaving SeaQuest."

"You can't do that!"

"We just did," replied he replied. "We will be making arrangements for the remaining slaves and the crew members not behind us on this to be transported off of the boat." The men shifted restlessly not understanding just what was occurring before them. Before any of them could ask questions, the Captain stepped back to the forefront of the group on the screen and addressed the group.

"I, Captain Nathan Bridger, do hereby resign from my position in the United States Navy. As of this moment, the SeaQuest is no longer a U.S. military vessel." 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

She was dreaming again. She was in a long dark hallway. She knew she was looking for something but Wendy did not know what that something was. She hurried down the corridor searching for an unlocked door. As she touched each doorknob she felt more than saw a flash of light. Her something was related to the white but none of the doors would open. She began to run, frantically trying all of the doors. Doors flow by in streaks of black and gray. She ran faster and faster starting to panic. She had to find it! And suddenly she stopped.

Panting, she stared at the door at the end of the hallway. Tentatively, she reached out to touch the knob. It burned! She snatched her hand back and turned to find another door but she was trapped. A wall had formed blacking off the rest of the hall. She would have to go through the door. Steeling herself, she gripped the doorknob. She gritted her teeth against the searing of her flesh and slowly turned the knob. The pain vanished as the door swung open bathing her in blinding, white light. There was a figure in the white room but she could not see clearly enough to identify it. She stepped into the room.

"Dr. Wendy?" asked a small voice incredulously.

"Lucas!" she exclaimed, blinking at the boy.

"Did they get you, too?"

"They who? What's going on?"

"My new owners. They got mad at me," he answered, hanging his head.

"You don't have new owners. We rescued you," she said confused. "This isn't real," she remembered. "I'm dreaming and you're still in Medbay."

"It's OK, Wendy. You don't have to pretend. They haven't hurt me in here and I've been here a long time." He scooted closer to her and she sat down beside him on the carpet.

"What's the last thing you remember?" she asked trying to figure out what her subconscious was telling her in this dream.

"They gave me the truth serum but I wouldn't tell. I remember what happens to people who break." He shuddered lightly beside her.

"You really believe you're real."

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked confused.

"Because I'm asleep! I'm dreaming! You can't be here. You're in a coma. Well, catatonic but the point is you're not here."

"Well, I am," he said, thinking out the problem. "If you're right and you're dreaming, maybe you dreamed yourself into my dream."

"How?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe you're psychic."

"There's no such thing!"

"I'm not the one invading other people's dreams," he responded sarcastically. 

"So what do we do now?" she asked changing the subject.

"As lovely as this place is, I'm kind of sick of this room. If it's all the same to you, since you got in could you maybe get me out?" She glanced at him, not used to him acting his age.

"I don't know how," she admitted.

"Try opening the door," he suggested. Shrugging, she got up and walked over to the door and tried the knob. It turned immediately with no pain or anything.

"Why didn't you try that?"

"I did. It wouldn't open for me." He stepped up beside her at the edge of the doorway. Together they took a deep breath and took the final step.

Blinking her eyes, she stared up at her ceiling wide-awake. She sat up quickly as she realized the implications of her dream. Throwing some clothes on, she hurried down to Medbay to check on Lucas.

"Hey, how are you doing?" she whispered when he turned to face her. He smiled at her sleepily. 

'Thank you,' he signed using one of the few words he'd mastered in sign language.

"You're welcome," she responded smiling at him as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

[Scene Change]

"Captain, the last of the crew have been unloaded," reported Commander Ford. 

"Thank you, Commander. Are there any slaves still aboard?"

"About twenty, sir. They would like to join the crew. I told them you would talk to them."

"I'll welcome them aboard later. We need to replace as many of the crew we lost as we can." 

"Sir, how long are we going to remain in port?" asked Hitchcock from where she was monitoring the systems.

"We were just waiting to unload the personnel," replied Bridger. "O'Neill, raise Lt. Krieg's PAL."

"Krieg here," came the voice from the speakers.

"Lieutenant, are there any critical shortages in the supplies?"

"No, sir. We were able to get almost everything. With the decrease in crew members we will be fine for at least a month."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Commander, please plot a course for international waters. I want us out of reach from anything launching from shore."

"Yes, sir."

[Scene Change]

"You know, I don't understand you," said Jim as he sat down beside Lonnie.

"What do you mean?" she asked not taking her eyes off of the fighter.

"I thought you hated it here. Why did you stay?"

"A lot of reasons," she said turning to face him. "I don't like the military but we're doing good. If I left, I'd just have been assigned to a new boat."

"They would have let you fly."

"I know," she said, looking longingly toward her fighter. "I want to fly. Everyday I go without it is like I'm missing part of my soul but you're right. I'm not ready. I'll just end up getting myself killed or worse getting someone else killed. I want to fly because of my skills not because my father demanded it."

"That's a very admirable thing to say. I wouldn't have stayed for just that though."

"I didn't. I like the people. I like Lucas. We're doing the right thing. Besides, if I have to die out here I'd rather do it protecting my friends."

"I know it's selfish of me but I'm glad that you stayed," he admitted glancing over at her hesitantly.

"I'm glad you're glad," she replied smiling at him.

[Scene Change]

"I wonder what they're saying in the news." Miguel glanced over at Tim watching him stare morosely into the moonpool.

"Are you regretting you stayed?"

"No," replied Tim. "I just wish I hadn't burned my last bridge."

"With your family?" asked Miguel lightly running his hand over Tim's back.

"Yeah. I mean, our relationship was shaky enough between me leaving the Church and you. There's no way they're going to accept a traitor for a son."

"We're not traitors!"

"Yes, we are," said Tim softly. "It doesn't matter that they were wrong. We still turned against our government."

"Then why did you stay?"

"I had to stay. They need me. You need me here."

"I would have left with you."

"I know but I couldn't ask that of you."

"But it's fine for me to force you into staying? I don't want it to be like that! That's not what our relationship's about!" exclaimed Miguel becoming upset.

"You didn't force me into anything," reassured Tim rubbing Miguel's arm. "I chose to stay."

"I just don't see how it got to this point. Why could they see what Section Seven would do to him?"

"They probably just didn't like the fact that Bridger was making demands." Tim trailed his fingers through the water making ripples.

"What do you think's going to happen now?"

"I'm sure they'll come to an agreement of some sort. They wouldn't actually attack us."

"Just like they wouldn't send a little boy to his death?" The pair fell silent not wanting to think about what would happen if the military's might was directed against them.

[Change Scene]

"Washington is in an uproar today after US Naval Submarine SeaQuest went AWOL earlier today. Reports state that two-thirds of the crew resigned from the military taking over control of the ship. Among the deserters are Captain Nathan Bridger, Commander Jonathan Ford, and Lt. Commander Katherine Hitchcock," read Amber Stiles of the Daily News. "We're going to go live to the Pentagon for a report from our correspondent John Gray." The view changed to two men standing out in the rain in front of a large brown building. 

"I'm standing here with Adam Weiss. Weiss is a security guard in the Pentagon. Adam, could you tell us what you saw this morning?"

"I watch the monitors from the security cameras. All the military was having this meeting and they were yelling about this guy Bridger saying he wasn't going to turn over this kid. They told him he had to but he wouldn't and then he quit. Took the whole boat and everything."

"Thank you, Adam." The man moved away until he was standing alone on the screen. "As you heard, the entire situation developed over the possession of a slave child that was rescued by SeaQuest. The nature of the problem over the child is still uncertain." Another man stepped onto the screen handing a piece of paper to the reporter. "Reports have just come in that the last of the crew that chose to remain with the military and the former slaves have been transported off of SeaQuest. The submarine is now heading out to sea. Destination is unknown."

"Thank you, John," said Amber coming back on the screen. "We'll be cutting back to him as more information becomes available. Now we are going to go to Eric Mason, an expert on submarine war tactics." The older, balding man appeared in the corner of the screen. "Eric, what can we expect SeaQuest to do now?"

"Well, that's a very interesting quest-" The screen went black.

"Momma!" squealed the girl. "I was watching that!"

"It's dinner time."

"But we're going to war! The boat's going to blow people up now!"

"Caitlyn, come to the dinner table. Nothing's going to happen with the submarine. It's just politics."

"Yes, Momma," she said obediently, sitting down at the table. Dinner at the Crowley's proceeded normally completely unaffected by the turmoil in the nation's capital.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

AN: Thanks to Joxer, Gina, the Dominatrix, GraciePixie, LoP, lucasfan, Lady Winter, skywise, and Katie for their reviews. Since no one commented on the little girl at the end of chapter fourteen, I decided to hold a contest. The first person that identifies her gets to be written into the story. You get to choose your name and your character. Sorry, Michael, you can't play.

"What are we going to do?"

"We can't just let Bridger get away with this."

"He has his reasons for doing this. Bridger was a good Captain. He wouldn't just abandon his post for no reason. We have to talk to him."

"He must be punished!" growled General Thomas.

"You should hold your tongue, General," snapped another one of politicians. "It was your folly that caused this whole mess."

"Then let me fix it."                                                                                                                                

"This is out of your hands now. You have done quite enough."

"Then I don't see that there's much point in me being at this meeting." Thomas stood to leave. "I have other things that need my attention."

"General Thomas," began the highest ranking officer, "do not step out of bounds."

"He's going to cause trouble."

"He's already caused trouble."

"He's a powerful man, gentlemen. He needs to be watched but right now SeaQuest is a bigger concern. We need to decide our stance before we can open talks."

[Scene Change]

"Implement Scenario Rogue."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain Bridger needs to learn who he's dealing with."

[Scene Change]

"All hands to battle stations! I repeat, all hands to battle stations!"

"Are we sure the boats are hostile?"

"They're ours but they're not answering our hails. These aren't friendlies."

"Just the same. Make sure all of the pilots know that they are to take the first shots," warned Captain Bridger. "I don't want them to say we attacked them."

"Captain! We don't have enough men to man the fighters," called Jim as the first ships began to pour out to meet the oncoming war craft.

"I can pilot if you get Lucas to cover for me," volunteered Katie. "Ensign Henderson can help too if she stays close to the boat.

"Contact Medbay, Lt. O'Neill."

"This is Dr. Westphalen. What can I do for you?" asked Kristin harried. She continued to collect items from around her as Medbay prepared for the casualties that would follow battle.

"Doctor, we need Lucas here on the bridge to cover for Commander Hitchcock."

"He's not ready. He hasn't used a computer since he was rescued."

"Please," interrupted Katie. "He can do it. This might make the difference between life and death for our pilots."

"I assure you. The boy will be safe on the bridge."

"I'll send him up," relented Kristin. "Just take care of him."

"Hitchcock, gather Ensign Henderson and go prepare your fighter."

"Yes, sir." She left the bustle of the bridge hurrying to find her roommate. 

[Scene Change]

She hovered anxiously as the deadly face-off continued. Fighters from both sides lined up neither firing. She tried to keep moving. She did not want to be an easy target when the action started. The tension kept building. She knew it was going to blow soon. Then she saw it. A single torpedo left the submarine heading towards SeaQuest. She felt the aftershocks from the intercepts colliding with the torpedo but by that time she was too busy dodging enemy fire to notice anything else.

[Scene Change]

Tony tried to ignore the yelling around him as he struggled to stay on his feet. The ever-increasing turbulence of battle made the task more difficult. He grabbed onto the pipes above him for leverage as he made his way through the underbelly of the ship. A man ran drunkenly past him sloshing in the water. 

"Piccolo!" shouted his superior grabbing him by the shirt. "We've got men stuck behind the gates. Can you get to them through the tubes?"

"I'll try, sir. Do we have air tanks?" The tanks only held enough air to bring the four men out from the sealed sections. Because of his gills, Tony was the only person who could get in to rescue the men without using up the precious oxygen. Tony tore off his shirt and kicked off his shoes. They would only weigh him down in the water. Another man grabbed the tanks from the emergency station and tossed them to Tony. He snagged them mid air, slinging them across his back.

"Hurry!" urged his superior. "Things are still flooding back there. They don't have a lot of time." Tony slipped into one of the maintenance chambers, sealing it behind him. He opened the gate swimming out into the aqua tube. His pants were a hindrance but it was better than going naked in front of his comrades. At least he did not have to worry about his shirt clogging the gills. With strong, swift strokes, he pulled himself through the water. Before he knew it he had reached the designated portal. He had to struggle to get the outer seal open. Water pressure was building up on the other side and this gate did not have the same hydraulics as the one opening into the tubes. Water rushed through slamming Tony against the other gate. He coughed and choked as he tried to breath through his mouth. Calming himself, he forced his way into the room, kicking upwards towards the ceiling.

"Is anybody here?" he yelled treading water to keep his head in the foot or so of air left near the ceiling.

"In here! We're in here!" The yells were coming from the other side of the wall. Tony dove down seeking the doorway through the gloomy murk. He pulled himself through to the other side and rose rapidly upward. Three men were clinging desperately to any handhold they could find.

"Where's the other one? I thought there were four of you back here?"

"Sally," gasped the bedraggled man that Tony recognized Alex from his shift. "She was in the other room. She didn't come out."

"I'll go look for her," said Tony passing the air tanks to the three men. "Do you think you can make it to the moonpool alone?"

"I know the way," promised a man Tony did not recognize. "I've helped build these pipes." Tony helped them through the doorway then turned to go search for the girl.  One of the men grabbed his hand as he was leaving pressing something into it. He fingered it for a second before finding a button to push. It was not until a dim beam of light emerged from the object that he realized it was a flashlight. 

Everything looked ghostly as the light flitted over it. It was very eerie down here with the sounds of battle muffled by the water. He floated into another room. This one was filled with airtight waterproof containers holding supplies. Some of them had fallen during the jostling of the ship. He was almost ready to move on to the next room when he caught sight of something. Swimming closer, his light illuminated the missing fourth person of his party. The woman's blond hair floated around her in a halo. Her mouth was open slightly and her eyes were blank. He pushed at the container gently freeing the foot that had trapped her here. Scooping her body in his arms, he began to swim back for the aqua tubes. He tried not to think about his burden or the family and friends she must have left behind but the knowledge weighed heavy on him and the returning swim was long and difficult. He stepped out of the maintenance chamber with water spilling at his feet. Another worker hurried over to take the woman from him.

"You did good," reassured his supervisor, patting him on the shoulder leaving greasy fingerprints. Tony gave a tired nod, pushing his wet hair back off of his forehead. The boat shook again almost making him fall. He regained his balance and took back his place in the group working to keep the SeaQuest afloat long enough to survive the battle.

[Scene Change]

"We've got another fighter down!" shouted Ben as he fought the controls. He had volunteered to pilot this hunk of scrap metal in order to free up a pilot for the fighters. He was doing more good out here towing damaged fighters back to the boat than he would have been on the bridge. Out here, he was saving lives by getting the injured and the helpless back to protection. "We're lined up with her. Reel her in."

"I'm lowering the clamps," called his co-pilot, Jack. A large metal attachment lowered from the bottom of their ship and secured itself onto the downed fighter. That completed, Ben began to carefully maneuver through the fighting back towards SeaQuest. A quick laser blast hit the fighter below them sending the small ship rolling in the after effects of the explosion.

"Jack! You OK?" he yelled, struggling to level the ship. He glanced down at the radar and paled. Another wave of the enemy was heading straight for them. This was it. There was no way they could survive the reinforcements. Giving his talisman a quick squeeze, he began to pray silently. The gods answered quickly as his radio came alive with a burst of static.

"Cease fire. I repeat, cease fire," commanded a voice that Ben did not recognize. Warily, the fighters backed off. "The first vessel to fire a shot will be destroyed. You are to cease fire."

"Man, what do you think of that? They just saved us!" exclaimed Ben. There was no reply from Jack. "Jack? Answer me, Jack!" Ben unbuckled his seatbelt and turned around to the back. Part of the siding of the ship had been dented in during the blast leaving a jagged edge stabbing into the cargo area of the ship. Jack hung limply on the metal piece, a small river of blood flowing from where he'd been impaled. "No, Jack! No! They saved us! They saved us!" Ben pulled frantically at his friend pulling him off of the metal but it was too late to do anything for Jack Dawson.

[Scene Change]

"Bridger, we apologize for this dreadful event," stated the man on the screen. "We had no knowledge of the attack or we would have done more to prevent it."

"What is the meaning of all this?" demanded Bridger. "First you attack us and now you apologize for us!"

"These men were not operating under the orders of the United States military. They were operating independently against our commands. They will be dealt with accordingly."

"They were operating on their own?" repeated Bridger skeptically. 

"The board has not yet decided what actions to take against you. There are some who insist you must be punished immediately. Others hope there's a way to talk this out peacefully. Clearly, someone decided to take matters into their own hands."

"And I'm sure you have no idea who this someone might be."

"We have an idea. As I said, the matter will be investigated."

"That's not good enough!"

"I'm afraid it's no longer your concern. We'll contact you again to initiate talks." The screen went blank. Nathan glanced around the bridge noticing the exhausted faces.

"Let's get some people up here to relieve you. We have repairs to get started." He glanced over at the hacker boy who was falling asleep where he sat now that the excitement was over. "O'Neill, escort him back to his room," he added with a nodded towards the boy.

[Scene Change]

He stepped inside the room glancing around for its occupants. There was no one in the room except for the boy sleeping in the bed. With a sigh, he sat down beside the bed. He was tired. He was so tired. Yet he felt guilty for stealing this little respite for the aftermath of the battle. All over the ship, his men were scrambling to make repairs. The doctors and nurses were currently engaged in a more critical battle; one of life and death. People had died. They had killed. All over this one little boy. What had he been thinking when he refused their decision?

The boy was sleeping peacefully. He was exhausted from the battle. 'Lucas,' thought Nathan correcting himself. He should at least call the child by his name after going through all of this trouble to keep him. Lucas looked so innocent lying there. He was a beautiful child although still too small for his age. He was the complete opposite of Robert. Robert had been dark where Lucas was fair. They both had large expressive eyes that threatened to swallow you but Lucas's eyes didn't have the joy that Robert's often had. Lucas was just discovering joy after a life of horror.

Perhaps that was why the crew was so captivated with him. Nathan himself did not understand how Lucas could have inspired such loyalty but he had. Nathan had tried to stay away from the boy as much as possible. Lucas made him uncomfortable and brought back memories he really did not wan to look at anymore. He couldn't really escape it now. He had willingly risked his life and the lives around him for a boy that he barely knew. That had to change things. Yet, part of him did not want anything to do with Lucas. The boy was dangerous. He knew too much. He could do too much. No one knew what kind of a person he would grow up to be. Who knew what would happen if he continued to inspire such loyalty as he grew up? He could end up controlling them all.

Nathan shook his head trying to dispel the disturbing thoughts. He did not really think that Lucas would grow up to be such a malicious person. He might have if his former life had continued but he was here on SeaQuest now with good people to make sure he grew up right. The question was: what was it going to take to keep him here? And how many lives were too many to give up for one little boy? Even one as gifted as Lucas.

[Scene Change]

"You did good today," said Katie patting Lonnie on the shoulder.

"Really?" A beaming smile lit Lonnie's face.

"Yeah. You should be proud."  She smiled tiredly at her roommate as continued down the hall. She entered the bridge scanning the room for Jonathan. He noticed her first and separated himself from the group inspecting the first damage estimates.

"Hey," he said, rubbing a thumb across her cheek. 

"Hey," she answered, sighing as she leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her squeezing gently. "I just wanted to make sure you're OK."

"I'm fine. You should go get some rest." She nodded pushing back against him. She tilted her head back studying his face for a second.

"All right," she said, untangling from his arms reluctantly. He watched her until she had left the room then turned back to the business at hand. 

[Scene Change]

"May I have a seat?" He looked up from the reports in surprise.

"Sure," he replied waving his coffee cup towards the chair in front of him. "You must be exhausted."

"I always am after surgery. It went well though. All but one are still hanging on."

"That's good to know."

"You know, I haven't had a chance to thank you," she said brushing a stray lock behind her ear.

"Thank me? For what?" he asked honestly confused.

"Lucas."

"Dr. Westphalen, you don't owe me thanks for that."

"You're risking a lot for him. All of you are."

"What they were doing was wrong. I couldn't uphold their decision."

"A lesser man would have," she replied.

"Don't kid yourself, Doctor. It's not about who's lesser or greater. I'm just too old and suborn to give in to their demands."

"Old? I don't see any old men around here." He looked up to meet her gaze and they both smiled at each other. There was a friendly tension growing between the two of them.

"Would you care to join me for dinner, Dr. Westphalen?"

"This is dinner," she reminded him with a teasing smile.

"Not tonight," he replied grinning at her. "I mean a real dinner. In my quarters."

"Only if you promise to drop the doctor nonsense, Captain."

"Then call me Nathan, Kristin."


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Author's Notes: First of all, I'd like to apologize for the long delay. I haven't had as much time to write as I would have liked to have. I have no idea who rapidly or slow the rest of my posts are going to be. 

Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who participated in my contest. Caitlyn Crowley is the daughter Ben and Katie gave up for adoption. Congratulations to everyone who got it right. Dusk and Bec_b were the first to get it right. As their reward, Dusk will be making a guest appearance in this section as Dusk and Bec_b will be appearing in the next section as Rebecca.

Lastly, thanks to Joxer for offering me a plot bunny way back when. It might not be exactly how you imagined it, Joxer, but it's finally coming into play.

Tim slipped into the room silently not wanting to wake Miguel who was still sprawled across the bunk. He found that as the tour went on he was going to bed later and waking earlier. He had already eaten breakfast and showered and he still had hours before he was required to be anywhere. He watched Miguel for a moment envious. Stress never got to Miguel. He was always calm. Tim, on the other hand, was a worrier. He fretted over everything and lost sleep because of it. Sighing, he decided to find other things to occupy his mind. Cutting on his computer, he opened the Internet and pulled up his e-mail. Nothing. Not expecting anyone to be on, he pulled up his buddy list for instant messenger. Immediately, a message popped up on his screen.

Dusk: Bro!! * giant hugs* 

Dusk: I've missed you

Athenian_Lyceum: I missed you too, little sister. How is school going?

Dusk: boring  * wrinkles nose*

Dusk: why didn't you call us?

Athenian_Lyceum: I'm sorry. I wasn't sure you'd want to hear from me.

Dusk: Of course I would!!!  You're my brother!!!

Athenian_Lyceum: I'm a traitor to my country.

Dusk: So? Was that supposed to make me stop loving you

Athenian_Lyceum: No. Maybe. I don't know. 

Dusk: I'm sure you had good reason

Athenian_Lyceum: I did. Maybe you'll get to meet him one day.

Dusk: I've already met Migs  :oP

Athenian_Lyceum: * tickles you* I didn't mean him!

Dusk: I know…they'll get over it you know…it's not like they're going to disown you

Athenian_Lyceum: That's what you think. How mad are they?

Dusk: Father's furious…you know how he feels about serving your country and family honor and all that

Athenian_Lyceum: And Momma?

Dusk: She's too worried to be mad….you better call her and let her know you're ok

Athenian_Lyceum: I will.

Dusk: You better * glares threateningly*

Dusk: Ugh…it's time for me to go to class

Athenian_Lyceum: All right. Bye. Love you.

Dusk: Love you too. * hugs*  tell Migs I said hi

Dusk has signed off

Smiling, Tim logged off. Suddenly, he felt a whole lot better about the situation.

[Scene Change]

"Hey, kid," said Ben poking his head into the suite that Lucas and Westphalen still shared. Lucas jumped and twisted around relaxing again when he saw it was only Ben. He grinned and waved Ben into the messy room. Wires, circuit boards, diagrams, and books decorated the floor in ordered chaos. "So what have we here?"

Lucas's eyes lit up and he began pointing out the individual components of his project. He showed Ben where he incorporated the mechanics of a sound wave into the process by which he would monitor the whistles dolphins make. He pointed out how it would go through the circuitry and be interpreted by his software once he finished the prototype. Ben just smiled and nodded. He could pick out the picture of a sine wave but Lucas's pointing and nodding did not help him with the rest of the mess.

"We've really got to get you talking, bud," he said reaching down to ruffle Lucas's hair. Lucas flinched slightly at the contact but relaxed before Ben noticed. "Maybe I'll ask Katie if she has any ideas how to help you. Anyways, that's not what I came here for. I came to see if you wanted to watch the game with us."

Lucas looked at him blankly.

"The party in the lounge?"

Blank.

"The World Series?"

More blankness.

"Baseball?!"

Still blank.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of baseball. He's never heard of baseball! That's it! You're coming with me." Ben dragged the somewhat confused, a little alarmed but unresisting Lucas down the corridor towards the lounge.

"Make way for the chili," said Katie smiling at the two of them as she shouldered her way into the lounge carrying a crock-pot.

"Is that?" asked Ben salivating at the delicious aroma.

"Yep. My award winning chili." Ben's stomach rumbled in anticipation.

"You haven't lived until you've tried her chili on a foot long," he told Lucas. Lucas just nodded not really understanding what was going on. His friends seemed to be in good spirits though so whatever it was it was probably a good thing. Katie carried the crock-pot over and set it down on the food table.

"The place looks great, Krieg. You've outdone yourself this time," said Jonathan clasping a hand on Ben's shoulder. With all of the recent turmoil from their split from the mainland, Ben had decided that the crew needed an event to make them feel American and the World Series was the perfect occasion. The entire lounge had been decorated in red, white, and blue. Along one wall was a row of food including stadium mainstays such as foot long hot dogs, giant pretzels, boxes of fresh popcorn and even a few bags of commercially made cotton candy. The crew had been divided into three shifts so that everyone could have an opportunity to watch part of the game. Captain Bridger had been very supportive of the festivities even going so far as allowing the game to be broadcasted over the ships intercom system as long as no one complained.

"Thanks, Commander. I do my best to keep morale high."

"We certainly appreciate your efforts, Ben," said Tim, as him and Miguel joined the little group. "Not sure we let you know that enough."

"Thanks, guys," he replied with a smile. Ben glanced around the room making sure everything was going smoothly. He spotted Lucas standing uncertainly at the edge of their group. "Listen, guys, could a few of you sit with Lucas and make sure he knows what's going on? He's never seen a baseball game or any of the stuff that goes with it so I want to make sure he gets the whole experience. I'd do it myself but I'm going to be busy keeping things in order."

"You're welcome to sit with us, Lucas. Miguel knows all about baseball. What do you say?" Lucas looked up at Tim and Miguel's smiling faces and nodded uncertainly. "Great! Let's go get us some food and find us a seat."

[Scene Change]

The tiny speeder dipped and bounced as it flitted through the water. Ahead of it, the massive cruise ship lumbered along oblivious to the approaching threat. The sun was setting in the distance blinding any of the people along the deck who might have spotted the tiny boat following them. The sound of Caribbean music floated out across the sea from the decks of the ship towering over the waves. 

Careful to avoid the wake, the speeder pulled up alongside the cruise ship and attached itself to the hull. Figures in black emerged from the boat and began the tedious climb up the side of the ship using suction devices. The revelry continued above. The patrons were all secure in their illusions of protection. The black figures reached the top scampering silently over the edge. They hung a ladder from the railing to assist them in their escape then crept through the ship. The ship had security but it was not enough to stop the invaders. They crept through the ship silent as mice. No one saw them. No one heard them. Thirty minutes later they were gone with no one aware that they had ever been there. The only evidence of their visit sat in the engine room at the rear of the ship. The small, red numbers of the display glowed in the darkness as they slowly counted down to detonation.

[Scene Change]

"That's a homerun," said Miguel pointing at the screen. "See how the ball went so far that no one can catch it. All the guys on the bases get to run home now." Lucas leaned forward staring at the screen intently. He licked his fingers that were sticky and blue from the cotton candy. He watched them circling the bases then sat back with a slight smile.

"Are you enjoying the game?" asked Tim from Lucas's other side. Lucas nodded eagerly.

"Baseball's the greatest game in the world." 

"I wouldn't go that far," interrupted Tony from behind them. "Sure, it's all right but it has nothing on hockey. Now there's a real sport." Lucas looked at him uncertainly then to Miguel and Tim for confirmation.

"There's no right or wrong answer, Lucas. Some people prefer certain sports to others," said Tim.

"You'll have to watch a game when they start televising them again. You'll love it. Nothing like it in the world, especially during playoff time. Baseball's puny little trophy's nothing like Lord Stanley." Tony's face was practically glowing as he raved about his favorite sport. Lucas giggled at him and patted Tony's arm leaving sticky fingerprints on his sleeve. "Hey!" yelled Tony. He stood over Lucas tickling him until he was a wiggling, giggling mass of smiling boy.

"Miguel used to play baseball in college," said Tim after everyone had settled down again. "He was good enough to go professional."

"That's impressive," whistled Tony, causing Lucas to look at Miguel with awe.

"It was nothing." Miguel tried to brush them off.

"Don't be so modest." Tim leaned over and whispered to Lucas. "His mom has a room full of his trophies at home."

"Look, I just played a little ball in college. Sure, I probably could have bounced around the minors for a few years but that's no way to make a living. I'd rather be here."

"Drew Meyer is stepping up to bat. This gentleman is a proven player. He's their go-to guy," stated the announcers on the screen. The group turned their attention back to the game as the short stop stepped up to the plate. "Listen to the fans. He's definitely a crowd pleaser."

[Scene Change]

John Decker stretched at his seat stifling a yawn. He glanced at the clock again for the fourth time in five minutes. He could not wait to get out of here so he could watch the game. He began to fiddle with the sensors just to give him something to do. All of a sudden, static burst across the speakers.

"Mayday! Mayday!" came a panic stricken voice through the static.

"Sir! I have something here!" said John, excited.

"Get a fix on that location," ordered Ford who had just started his shift on the bridge. "See if you can get the transmission any clearer."

" Mayday! This is cruise liner, Summer's Dream.  There was an explosion. We're going down. I repeat, we're going down!"

"Summer's Dream, this is SeaQuest. What is your location?"  Empty static was the only answer. "We've lost them, sir."

"Did you get a location?"

"I was unable to pinpoint exactly. They are somewhere to the Northeast of us. We should be able to pick them up on our sensors within half an hour."

"Chief Harlot, adjust out heading in that direction. Decker, call the Captain to the bridge then send out an alert."

"Yes, sir." John turned around calling Captain Bridger's PAL. He spoke to him a minute then turned back to face Ford. "He's on his way, Commander. What alert would you like me to call?"

"General Alert. All personnel report to section supervisors."

"Commander, what's the situation?" asked Bridger striding onto the bridge.

"A cruise liner is going down. We were just barely within her radio range. We might be the only people close enough to attempt a rescue."

"Get all of the officers up here immediately. We need to start breaking down into rescue teams." He paced for a second. "Have them bring Lucas." He turned around surveying the bridge. "Decker, continue trying to hail the cruise liner. You, start trying to contact anyone else in the area to let them know what's happening."

[Scene Change]

"This is our group. Look at each other's faces. Memorize them. We're going to act as a chain. Hand the person on down to the next person on the chain. You three will be retrieving people from the ship. You two help them onto the shuttle. You two help them off of the shuttle. The rest of you are to direct them here on SeaQuest. We have to do this quickly and efficiently. These people may not have a lot of time. All right people! Let's do it!"

Jonathan jogged ahead of his group as they headed for their launch. Half of his men split of stationing themselves so they could lead the injured to medbay and the others to quarters being hastily organized. SeaQuest did not have enough room to house the population of a cruise liner but hopefully with a little crowding she would be able to hold them long enough for other ships to arrive. The last of his group filed into the launch. He tapped the pilot on the shoulder signaling him to go once a path cleared. The kid was one of Katie's pupils. This was probably his first real flight. 

"You'll do all right, Tony," he reassured the pilot. Tony nodded at him, swallowing hard, trying not to be terrified. 

Their first view of the ship as they bobbed to the surface was like a scene out of one of the many Titanic movies.  Half the ship sat low in the water with the other end slightly elevated. Even as they watched they could tell that more water was flooding the ship. Twenty or so lifeboats floated around the ship while more people aboard fought for the few remaining boats. Either they were not being filled to capacity or the ship was not carrying enough boats but it was obvious that there was no way they would hold everyone. Jonathan just prayed that they would have enough time to get to everyone. As fast as she appeared to be taking on water, they might not have very long to work. 

[Scene Change]

"I'm singing in the rain," sang Miguel at the top of his lungs as he waded through water that was up to his thighs. He was deep within the ship leading a team of ten men after any people who might be trapped down here. The levels below were all submerged. Anyone left down there was beyond their help.

"Would you stop that?" shouted Banks from behind him. 

"Stop what?"

"That infernal singing! It's driving me insane! This is not the time nor the place for such frivolousness."

"Wrong. It's the perfect time. Besides," said Miguel, grinning back at the disgruntled man. "I've always wanted to go to Niagara Falls."

"You're a sick, sick man, Ortiz," said Daniels shaking his head. They continued to plow onward while water dripped down on them. The 'Falls' as Ortiz had referred to it was the roaring of the water flooding into the ship. The water was coming in at a terrifying rate. They'd already been forced up one deck and the water was up to their hips now on this one. Mostly these corridors were empty. The doors stood open. The rooms flooded. Occasionally, they had found an individual whose door opened outward. They simply removed the door from its hinges and sent the trapped individual out the nearest escape route.

"Listen." Miguel stopped tilting his head.

"What?"

"The water. It's not as loud. Someone must have found a way to seal off part of the ship."

"So? It's still flooding."

"Not as fast. That means these people still have a chance." Miguel turned the group around heading for the stairs to the next floor. They had already started the climb when he paused. He turned back around heading for a closed door he noticed just before the stairs.

"Where are you going, man?" asked Daniels hurrying to catch up with him.

"We didn't check this one."

"You came all the way back because of a closed door!" Banks stared at him in disbelief. "First the singing. Now this. You've got to be nuts!" Miguel ignored him pushing open the door. A woman bobbed gently in the water. He waded over to her and flipped her over knowing that she was dead. There was a small cut on her head. She'd probably been knocked out during the explosion then drowned.

"Mommy?"

"My God, we almost missed them," gasped Daniels sagging against the wall. A little girl about seven years old sat up from her bed on the top bunk. She clutched her baby doll to her chest and stared at them. Her older brother, on the bunk across the room, was still asleep.

"Hey, darling, my name's Miguel. We're going to take you and your brother upstairs." She nodded softly, clinging to him as he picked her up. Daniels gathered her brother who had woken up but was staring at his mother silently. Banks did not say a word. He picked up the body and followed the other two up the stairs. He watched Miguel with a mixture of respect and adoration. He would never question him again. 

[Scene Change]

"O'Neill, how are the crews going?" asked Bridger though his PAL. Lucas and Tim were the only people left on the bridge. Everyone else was elsewhere helping with the rescue. 

"So far so good, sir. The people are panicked up they're not fighting our help. None of our men have been injured during the rescue so far. Estimates are that at least two hundred people have been transported aboard so far."

"Do we have any idea out of how many?"

"I had Lucas get us a copy of the passenger and crew listings. There are nine hundred and forty-seven people on the ship."

"How long before more help arrives?"

We're really isolated out here, sir. The nearest ship is still over an hour away."

"There may not be a ship left to save by then."

"Can we get the people off by then?"

"We have to." There was noise in the background and Tim could hear Bridger speaking to someone else. "We've got people in the water. Can you locate Seaman Piccolo and see if he can help get to them?"

"I'll try. It may take a few minutes." Darwin began to chatter then Tim laughed.

"I think Lucas is going to free Darwin so he can help."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Lucas was staring at Darwin then ran out of the room humming the theme song to Flipper."

[Scene Change]

"Give me your hand!" shouted Ben as he tried to lead the frightened man into his launch. The man shook his head refusing to release his death grip on the ladder. 

"I don't have time for this," griped the next man in line. He twisted around to the other side of the ladder and pried the man's fingers off of the rope. The man screamed as he fell into the water. He flailed around going under the water. Ben cursed and prepared to jump in when Darwin surfaced beside the man. He nudged him gently then pulled him over to the launch where Ben was able to pull him inside. The second man was already within the launch watching the whole scene contemptuously. Ben wished he had time to give the man a piece of his mind but at the moment he was too busy trying to save the rest of the people on the ladder. People screamed as the ship shifted with an ominous groan.

[Scene Change]

"Jonathan! Get on the launch!"

"I can't! There're still people aboard!" The last of Jonathan's group boarded the shuttle but he turned around to search for more people.

"She's going down! Bridger's recalled all the shuttles. It's too dangerous."

"Then get out of here, Katie," he yelled. She shook her head.

"Not without you."

"I've got to help these people!"

"You can't save them all. We'll collect the ones who make it. That's all we can do."

"Get out of here! Get to safety!"

"Jonathan Ford! I love you and I'm not leaving you!" She prepared to get off of the shuttle.

"You can't! You're the only one who can pilot it!"

"Then stay." Bowing his head, he gave in and let her pull him into the shuttle. She had barely pulled away from the ship when the groans and shrieks of twisting metal amplified. The final stages of its death were rapid. Katie found herself fighting against the void left by the sinking ship. She barely managed to keep control of the shuttle. She hoped everyone else had gotten out in time. Then she was docking and the Summer's Dream was gone.

[Scene Change]

"What are the final estimations, Mr. O'Neill?"

"Four of our men were injured. One was still on the boat when she went down."

"And the others?"

"Thirty-seven required medical treatment. The number of minor scrapes or sprains is unknown."

"Fifty-three people are dead. Another one hundred and fifteen are unaccounted for."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Nathan sighed resting his head against the wall. "We should have been faster," he whispered softly but not soft enough for it to escape Tim's notice.

"Captain, sir, if I may, there are a whole lot of people who are alive today because of you and your crew. Without SeaQuest, the number of dead could easily have been the number of survivors. We did a good job today."

"Thanks, Tim," said Nathan smiling tiredly. "It's hard to remember that sometimes."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

            "Captain, you and your men have my profound gratitude for the rescue of my people." The image of a honey-haired women in a leather chair was projected on the main screen of the bridge. 

            "No thanks are needed, Prime Minister. We just wish we could have saved more," answered Bridger remembering the one hundred and sixty-three passengers on the cruise ship that did not make it.

            "You did your best. Canada thanks you." She smiled at him.

            "Thank you, Prime Minister."

            "Will you be involved in transporting the victims back to shore?"

            "Yes, ma'am, SeaQuest has the best medical facility. We've also had recent experience with children so most of the families are staying aboard." Nathan watched concern flash over the Prime Minister's face before settling into the unreadable mask of a good politician.

            "Excellent," she said. "I look forward to meeting you in person. I think we have a great deal to discuss."

            "Such as?" asked Bridger, confused.

            "Alliances, Captain. SeaQuest and Canada have a great deal to offer each other." A buzzing to the right of the woman interrupted her. A flash of annoyance lit her eyes. "Another matter needs attending to," she said with regret. "We will speak again soon."

            An excited murmur ran across the bridge as the vid-screen clicked off.

            "Sir?" asked Commander Ford. "An alliance?"

            "Perhaps. We're still Americans," reminded Bridger cautiously. "We're not going to join another military."

[Scene Change]

            Miguel wiggled his toes trying to bring circulation back to his feet. He winced as tingles went shooting up his legs but managed to keep from shifting. The girl he had rescued from the ship was nestled to his right. Her raven ringlets draped around her obscuring her face and her doll, Annabel. Her brother was wedged in on Miguel's left. They were keeping him pinned to his chair.

            Surrounded by the children, Miguel felt the warm glow of fatherhood. He didn't know what he was going to do when it came time to hand the children into their aunt's custody. Lisa had captured his heart immediately. Partnered with Annabel, she was unbelievably sweet and trusting. Brian was shyer and clung to his savior with adoration.

            Their aunt was another story. She had been located on the day after the tragedy as Lucas and Tim worked to match the survivors. Carla Glenn was a short fiery woman that oozed sex appeal. Her method of thanking his for saving the children had been a searing kiss that left him aching with need. Whenever she was around, he was consumed with lust and guilt. He told himself that he should feel lucky she let the children spend so much time with him but that only complicated the situation. 

            Sighing, Miguel tried to turn off his brain. He had a few hours before his shift began. As long as he was stuck here, he might as well grab a nap.

[Scene Change]

"D-O-G. Dog," recited Tony grimacing.

            "Good," responded Katie with a smile. "And this one?"

            "C-A-T. Cat." Tony clinched his fists. "I sound like a moron or something."

            "No you don't. You sound fine. Look, everyone has to start somewhere."

            "I'm stupid! Only idiots can't read!"

            "Stop it," she commanded. "You are not stupid. You've simply never been given an opportunity to learn. You're making great progress. It's my fault that we don't get to spend more time working on this. I'm sorry for slowing you down."

            "It's not your fault. Things have been crazy around here for months."

            "Just the same. I'm sorry." Tony stared at the grating surrounding the moonpool. He kicked at it with his foot."

            "It's waited a quarter of a century. What's another month or two?" He shrugged looking up to meet her eyes. "I know you have a lot to do and that you don't have to take time out to do this with me." He glanced down again hesitantly. "I just wanted you to know I was thankful and all that."

            "You're welcome, Tony. I'm glad to help." She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "Now, what about this word?"

[Scene Change]

Lucas stood on the opposite side of the moonpool staring at Katie and Tony longingly. Water carried sound so he could hear their conversation perfectly. His jealousy of Tony was two-fold. Tony had all of the lovely Lt. Commander's attention focused on him.  Lucas also wished that his problem was as easy to correct as Tony's was. Unfortunately, there was no one who could teach him how to talk.

            Darwin popped up chattering, making Lucas smile. He reached down to rub the beautiful beast. Of everyone on SeaQuest, Lucas felt most at home with Darwin. The dolphin was trapped in the same world of silence that Lucas was. Only Lucas knew how frustrated and lonely Darwin got sometimes. 

            "That was OK," thought Lucas to himself. He was going to free Darwin from his prison. He was going to make it so Darwin could speak. 

            Determination renewed, Lucas gave Darwin a final pat farewell. Lucas moved confidently through the boat deftly avoiding any areas where pockets of children might be playing. He had learned his lesson with the last batch of children. He did not even have the shared past of slavery to help him get along with the new batch. Reaching his destination, Lucas knocked on the hatch to engineering.

            "Hey, kiddo," said Peter Dawes reaching down to ruffle Lucas's hair. "I was just heading out to do some repairs. You want to be my shadow again today?"

            Lucas nodded eagerly.

            "Alright, Mack, I'm heading out. If anyone comes looking for Lucas he's with me."

            Lucas waited while Peter gathered his tools then followed him happily down the corridor. He'd first come down here with Katie to meet the other computer technicians. He'd been more fascinated with the hardware aspect than the programming. Somehow he had ended up watching the engineers. A few of them enjoyed having an audience and would explain what they were doing. Most of the information he was using to do Darwin's project came from watching these guys. The rest came from the books Peter let him borrow.

            "I don't know how much the kid actually understands," Peter was known to have said to his roommates on more than one occasion," but I just can't say no to him. I've never seen any one so eager to try to learn."

            The two walked in comfortable silence. Peter wasn't bothered by Lucas being mute so he didn't try to fill in Lucas's half of the conversation or cover-up the silence with inane chatter the way most people would. That was the other reason that Lucas liked being around him. Peter made him feel normal. Their path took them deep into the lower levels of SeaQuest searching for the sensor that was on the fritz.

[Scene Change]

            Jonathan sat in the officer's lounge nursing a cup of coffee. He was trying to wind down from his shift. Somehow in school they had neglected to tell him how stressful command positions could be. The day's paper was open on the computer in front of him but he hadn't read a word. His mind was too busy going over the prospect of an alliance with Canada and Captain Bridger's last words.

            There hadn't been much time for reflecting on what they had all done. They'd basically gone from secession to battle to the Summer's Dream with barely enough time to recover and certainly not enough time to think about anything. Jonathan wondered how many people had really thought about what secession would mean for them. He, like most of the officers, hadn't looked beyond protecting one of their own. Although when Lucas had achieved that status he didn't know.

            He hadn't thought of what it would do to his family. They understood that this wasn't a choice he had made lightly but he hadn't expected them to be harassed because of him. Their last e-mail to him talked mainly about the friends that had stopped speaking to them and the media parked on their front lawns. The military had prohibited his sister, a lieutenant, from having any contact with him.

            He had known that he was giving up his career and his homeland but he hadn't realized what a perilous situation they would be in out here alone. Once their supplies ran out they had no where to obtain more and no way to pay for it if there was. If they continued to fight slavery and piracy, they would encounter damage that they had no way to repair. If they ran into trouble there was no one to call for backup. 

            The longer Jonathan thought the more important the Canadian alliance sounded but he remembered the Captain saying that they were still American. No matter how attractive an offer Canada made SeaQuest's duty was to protect the United States. SeaQuest was too important to become a mercenary. She was too important to let under someone else's power.

            So what did Canada want with SeaQuest and what exactly did Captain Bridger plan to do with them. It was times like these that made Jonathan glad that he wasn't in command of his own vessel yet. Pouring the long cooled coffee down the drain, he gathered his things and went to see if he could spend some quiet time with his girlfriend.

[Scene Change]

            "There she is," said Peter stopping in front of a bit of paneling. Lucas glanced around them while Peter was unscrewing the panel. If Kristin ever found out that Lucas had been in the bowels of SeaQuest, she would have a fit.

            "So what do you think?" asked Peter as he revealed the mass of wires and circuit boards. Lucas stared at it critically. He could see a bit of frayed wiring but it wasn't connected to anything. He didn't think that the wire would cause the problem by itself.

            "Looks like just a bit of loose wiring," said Peter reaching the opposite conclusion. Lucas frowned and stared at the hardware even more intently than before. Peter opened up his toolkit and set to work replacing the wire.

            "There. I just have to finish securing this end here." As Peter fed the errant wire into the power supply, the last piece of the puzzle slid into place for Lucas. The wire wasn't just worn. It had been shorted out by the power supply. If Peter just reconnected it, it would just short out again or worse it could short out the rest of the board or cause a fire.

            "Are you ready to cut the power back on?" asked Peter. Lucas stared at him horrified.

            No! Lucas shook his head vehemently. He pointed to the power supply insistently.

            "We already finished," said Peter, confused by Lucas's odd behavior. Lucas pointed to the power supply again. Peter paused considering. His first instinct was to brush it off and ignore Lucas but he'd never seen Lucas do anything like this before. Maybe those rumors about his intelligence were right and Lucas was on to something.

            "Alright," said Peter deciding to listen. "What do you want me to do?" Lucas pointed to the power supply and pantomimed taking it out. "You want it out? Why?"

            Lucas bit his lip frustrated at his inability to explain. He glanced around for something to help and caught sight of the piece of wire that had been removed. He picked it up and examined it. As he expected, the plastic casing had been melted away not worn. He handed it to Peter.

            "Well I'll be," said Peter amazed. He patted Lucas on the shoulder. "Thanks, you just saved me a lot of work." He set to work replacing the power supply. Lucas just shrugged anything for a friend.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially the ones who kept reviewing even though it was clear BTS wasn't going to be updated any time soon.  I'd also like to thank Dusk for editing these parts and more importantly understanding why some things just had to happen.  Again, expect the next section within the next two weeks.

            Tim sat at the edge of the moonpool staring morosely in the water. He wondered how everything had gone wrong so quickly. He could blame the children for the changes in Miguel but they had nothing to do with that woman. He had known the minute Miguel slept with her. At least, he had had the decency to find somewhere else to do it. Tim didn't know if he could have taken it if he had entered their room and found it smelling of sex and her.

            Tim pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling to keep his emotions under check. Somehow the fact that she was a woman made the betrayal that much deeper. How could Miguel do this to him? He'd given up everything for Miguel. He threw away his career. He abandoned his religion. He created an irreparable rift between him and his family.

            They had been worth it. He loved Miguel. Miguel was his soul mate, his other half. Miguel was worth damnation. Only now Miguel was an aching question mark. They were going to reach the Canadian shores tomorrow. 

            What was Miguel going to do when he was forced to let those children go? Was there going to be anything left of Tim and Miguel once that woman was gone? Was Tim's Miguel even still there?

            He didn't know if he could handle the answers.

[Scene Change]

            Lonnie stood panting. Sweat dripped off her flushed red skin staining her shirt. Her arms were pleasantly numb. Finally she was beginning to relax. She had come in here as soon as she got offline with her attorney. Her parents had not only cut her off from her trust fund but now they were trying to take the money for themselves. They didn't care that she'd left the Navy. They just wanted her money. The familiar flame of anger began to burn in her chest. They'd been trying to find a way to rob her of her inheritance for years and now because of SeaQuest they might finally succeed. 

            She gritted her teeth and attacked the punching bag with a vengeance. The contact of each hit jolted up her arms fueling her anger. Again and again she punched the bag. Thump! Thump! How dare they try to do this to her! Her own parents!

            She paused again, her chest heaving. Her arms burned with fatigue. She was preparing herself for another round when she felt something touch her shoulder. Instinctively, she whirled around to attack the intruder. Instead of making contact, she found herself airborne. She landed heavily on her back on the matted floor.

            "Whoa, there," said Jim crouching over her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

            She stared at him wheezing.

            "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked concerned. She shook her head. He held a hand down to her. "Here let me help you up."

            "No, I think I'll just lay here for a while," she croaked. He laughed and settled on the mat beside her. 

            "You look like you were going at it pretty hard." She shrugged. "You want to talk about it?"

            "Not right now." Lonnie glanced around the gym. "Not here."

            "Maybe after dinner?" Lonnie thought for a minute then nodded. "How about you spot me?"

            "Sure," she answered. Jim held out his hand again. This time she let him help her up.

[Scene Change]

Ben changed out of his uniform and prepared to start what he sometimes called his second shift. The others that knew his procedure called it his State of the Nation inspection. He'd discovered long ago that it was impossible to keep up morale if you didn't know how high or low morale was. So he'd started scheduling regular strolls through the boat taking the time to get to know people and see what was going on outside of officer's territory.

            "Afternoon, Ben," called one of the security guards. Ben smiled and waved as he entered the brig. He was pleased to see that the only occupant was the civilian he'd arrested for pushing that man into the water during the cruise ship rescue. When crew members started getting sent to the brig, it usually meant that even bigger problems were brewing.

            From the brig he wandered through the galley. The chefs were happily a chatter as they prepared the evening's meals. While the head chef pretended to look the other way, Ben snagged a flakey biscuit fresh from the oven. Munching on the biscuit, he bypassed the oily and gritty repair bay but the sound of horribly off-key singing assured him that everything was fine there. Loud music and the clank of weights assaulted him as he walked by the gym. The smell reminded him of the boy's locker rooms back when he'd been a jock in high school. He smiled fondly. That was how he'd met Katie. She'd been a cheerleader and the President of the Martial Arts Club. 

            Ahead, Ben heard children's laughter. It was the storage bay that spent more time being a giant playroom than it did storing anything. Ben spent the majority of his free time there. As he passed it, he noticed Miguel standing along the wall with that woman watching the children. Ben frowned to himself. He could not remember the last time he'd seen Tim and Miguel together. He smelled troubled brewing. Nothing wrecked havoc on a team worse than relationship problems even if most people weren't aware they two were involved. There was nothing he could do about it now so he shrugged and continued on his way.

            His trip took him through the rest of the boat. He stopped at medbay to talk to the doctors.  Dr. Westphalen looked him over suspiciously then reluctantly let him know that there had only been one accident that week and no illnesses. Both were music to his ears. Accidents tended to go up when people were frustrated and unhappy. Sick people frequently made frustrated and unhappy people. 

            His last stop was the crew's lounge. It had an entirely different atmosphere from the officer's lounge. It was crowded at all hours of the day and usually rowdy. Any one was allowed in here unlike the officer's lounge that required special invitation for non-officers. Ben frequently came here two or three nights a week. It was more his style and allowed him to network more.

            "Hey! Benny, over here!" called Sil waving him to a chair. Ben grabbed a beer then joined them. Large television screens around the room replayed old sporting events. 

            "Hey, guys. How are you?"

            "Good. Good. No complaints. How about you?"

            "Doing pretty good myself."

            "Say, Benny, are the rumors true?" asked Sil.

            "What rumors would those be?"

            "About Canada. Are we fixing to be Canadian?"

            "No, we're not going to be Canadian! We're Americans! Canada just wants to talk about an alliance. That's all."

            "An alliance, eh? Wonder what they want."

            "I don't know but I'm sure Captain Bridger will let everyone know as soon as he finds out." They nodded and conversation carried on to other things.

[Scene Change]

            "Well, you're looking a bit better," said Jim falling in step beside Lonnie as she left the mess hall.

            "Thanks," said Lonnie smiling at him. "I feel a lot better."

            "Oh, I wasn't talking about that. I meant the shower. It worked wonders." Lonnie laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

            "Where were you? I missed you at dinner."

            "I got caught up with things," shrugged Jim. "I'll eat later."

            "You sure?"

            "Yeah. Why don't we go down to the moonpool to talk?"

            "You know, you don't need to do this. I'm fine. I was just letting off some steam."

            "We've been so busy that we haven't gotten to spend any time together." Lonnie laughed.

            "We spend all our time together!"

            "That was work. It's not the same." Jim stopped in the corridor scuffing his feet uncomfortably. "Look, we don't have to do this. I'd just missed spending time with you is all."

            "No! I want to," protested Lonnie immediately. She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

            Their eyes met for a brief heated moment then they both stepped away. They traveled the remaining distance in silence. Neither one was willing to look at the other. Reaching the moonpool, they took off their shoes and rolled up their pant legs. Sitting side by side, they dangled their feet in the water. 

            "So what did your parents do now?"

            "What?" asked Lonnie astonished. "How did you know it was about my parents?"

            "Easy," he laughed. "Whenever you're upset, it's always their fault."

            "Yeah, I guess so." She sighed. "It's my trust fund again. They've cut me off and are trying to take the money."

            "Well, it's frustrating not having money but it does belong to them."

            "No, it doesn't. That money is mine. They just can't stand that my grandmother left everything to me."

            "So how can they cut you off from it?" asked Jim confused.

            "Because it's a trust fund. They can't spend it but they can stop me from spending it. I don't get full access until I'm twenty-five."

            "I don't know. It just seems odd for a family to be fighting over money."

            "It's not just about money. They think they've been cheated and they hate that I won't just give them the money. I was the daughter they never wanted. It burns them to see me with everything."

            "How long has this been going on?"

            "Ten years," she said blandly.

            "But you would have been just a child!" She shrugged. "Wow, you really are the poor little rich girl. I guess the question is just what did you inherit?"

            "My grandmother's estate," she began quietly. "About twenty-seven million dollars then a few properties."

            "Wow," gasped Jim. "I can see why your parents were upset to lose that."

            Lonnie tensed. She stared down at her feet where they were making waves in the water. 

            "Lenore," he said softly turning her head to look at him. "It's not going to change how I feel about you. A little money's nothing compared to you as a person."

            Slowly, without even meaning to do it, Jim leaned over and gently kissed Lonnie. She returned the kiss ever so softly then pulled back with a sigh.

            "We still can't do this, you know," she said.

            "You're not my student anymore," argued Jim.

            "Of course I am and you're still my superior."

            "We could work around it," he insisted.

            "Jim, I don't want to work around it. You're my best friend, maybe my only friend here. I don't want to jeopardize that."

            "I see," said Jim stiffly. He felt distinctly embarrassed. "I guess I'll be going then."

            "Don't," cried Lonnie terrified she'd just lost his friendship anyway. "Please don't do this!"

            "I'm still you're friend, Lonnie. I just…I just need some time alone right now." Gathering his things, he left her alone in the moonpool.

[Scene Change]

            "I'm leaving with Carla," said Miguel abruptly. The two had been sitting alone in their room for hours. Neither had been willing to break the oppressive silence.

            "OK," answered Tim numbly. He congratulated himself on being able to keep his voice steady. Inside, a tiny voice was chanting "No no no…"  He could feel his heart crumbling as he focused his attention on his hands. Across the room, Miguel began gathering his belongings for packing.

            "It's for the children," explained Miguel. "They need a father figure."

            "I understand," replied Tim while inside he was thinking that he would never understand.

            "We're getting married." Tim choked on a whimper. "I've asked the Captain to perform the ceremony.

            "I see." Tim wondered how much longer this torture could last. How could Miguel stand there telling him these things so nonchalantly? Why wasn't Miguel bothered when it was ripping him apart?

            "You could come with us," said Miguel questioningly.

            "I don't think your WIFE would like that very much," gritted Tim.

            "She doesn't know about us. We wouldn't have to tell her. I'm sure Bridger would let you go if you asked."

            "Do you realize what you're asking? You want me to be your mistress!"

            "Tim," said Miguel, looking hurt. "I just don't want to lose you. I lo- "

            "Don't! Don't you dare say it!" Tim squeezed his eyes shut battling rage and despair. "Get out. Just get out!"

            "This is my room too!" protested Miguel.

            "Fine." Tim stood and marched out of the room. When the hatch closed, there was only silence left.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

AN: Thanks to everyone that reviewed. Another thanks to Dusk for her betaing and comments.

            "Nathan! What are you doing down here?" exclaimed Kristin, as he paused uncertainly in the door to the medbay.

            "We've docked in Canada."

            "Yes, I know. Shouldn't you be on the bridge?"

            "I was just there. They can do without me for a few minutes. I came to ask you a question."

            "Yes?" she answered slowly.

            "Would you go out with me tonight, on a date? We can go into town and see a movie and eat at a real restaurant," he asked in a rush. He hadn't asked a woman out since Carol and it was even more nerve racking than he remembered.

            "Why you romantic old fool," laughed Kristin. "I'd love to go."

            "Great. I'll pick you up at six. I've got to get back to the bridge." Whistling, Nathan turned and walked down the hall. When Kristin went back into medbay, Wendy was smiling at her knowingly.

            "Don't even say it!" threatened Kristin unable to stop grinning.

            "Alright, back to work you two," intervened Dr. Levin.

[Scene Change]

"Just a minute!" yelled Lonnie as there was a knock at the door. She quickly finished putting mousse in her hair and threw on a shirt. She yanked open the door only to find the corridor empty. Glancing down, she noticed a teddy bear sitting on the floor with a rose and a card. Lonnie picked up the bear absently giving it a hug. She opened the card and smiled.

                        Lonnie,

                                    I'm sorry. Forgive me?

                                                Jim

[Scene Change]

            I can't believe they had an actual live theater," said Kristin as they walked down the sidewalk. Over head the stars twinkled. A few flickering fireflies danced around them in the salty sea air.

            "Shall we go for a walk on the beach?"

            "I'd love to." They strolled past the busy streets and down to the dock. Nathan held Kristin's hand leading her down the uneven steps to the sand. They continued down the beach past the fishy smell of the dock and the noise of the town until all they could hear were the gentle rolling waves. Selecting a rock, they sat staring out at the ocean. The moon was full and huge illuminating the water with a shimmer of silver. 

            "Did you have a good time?" asked Nathan watching Kristin's profile in the moonlight. She smiled.

            "Yes! Dinner was wonderful and the play was excellent."

            "I always did like Hamlet. I played Rosencrantz in high school."

            "Really? I was never any good at acting or the more creative pursuits. Science was always my forte."

            "Is that why you went into medicine?"

            "I wanted to help people. I had the skill. I didn't realize it would be so draining."

            "Do you like it on SeaQuest?"  He watched her uncertainly. 

            "Sometimes. It's nice to follow cases through to the end." She sighed. "It's just so hard working to save someone only to have them die in the next battle." They fell silent watching the waves.

            "And Lucas?" Her face lit up. It was the same reaction that he saw so often among his crew when ever the boy was mentioned.  He wondered once again just what it was about this child that had everyone so enamored.

            "He's a godsend. He's made everything in my life up to this point worth it for being able to save him." She smiled softly. "He really is a remarkable child. You should spend some time with him."  Nathan shook his head.

            I'm not good with children. I never know what to do with them. Carol always handled everything."

            "He's not that young. Challenge him to a chess game or something."

            "I don't know."

            "You're going to have to get along with Lucas before we can become involved." They both froze at the implications of her statement. Around them the air became noticeably warmer.

            "Are you saying you'd like to be involved with me?" Feeling bold, Kristin lifted a hand and rested it on Nathan's chest. She smiled at the astonishment in his eyes.

            "Well, you are a very handsome man, Captain Bridger." She leaned closer until their lips gently brushed.

            "And you, Dr. Westphalen," he began, pausing to initiate a more intense encounter, "are a very attractive woman." After that there was no more talking. 

[Scene Change]

            "I now pronounce you husband and wife," said Captain Bridger concluding the brief ceremony. "You may now kiss the bride."

            Miguel pulled Carla close and kissed her gently as the wedding guests clapped. The wedding was a simple affair held in the same bay where the children had spent so much time playing. Carla was wearing a pretty but plain white dress that she had bought in the harbor town. Miguel looked stunning in his dress uniform. Katie and Jonathan stood to either side of them in their places as the Maid of Honor and Best Man. Lisa and Brian completed the wedding parting looking adorable in their roles as flower girl and ring bearer.

            A surprising number of people attended the wedding. Most of them were friends but a few were just people in the mood for festivities. Everyone stood as the wedding party marched out then made their way to the mess hall where the reception was set up.  More people were expected to attend the reception because there were few among the crew that would pass up a chance at good food.

            "You look lovely," said Ben, handing Katie a glass of champagne.

            "Thank you." She took a small sip then nodded to Jonathan who was talking with Miguel. "They told me he asked you to be the Best Man first. Why'd you say no?"

            "I had my reasons," said Ben with an unfriendly glance in Miguel's direction.

            "For that matter, why wasn't Tim the Best Man? They are best friends. I don't think I even saw Tim at the wedding."

            "Our reasons were the same. Miguel's treated Tim horribly. I attended the wedding because Miguel is still my friend but I wasn't going to support him by being his Best Man."

            "Wait. What?" Katie stared at him.

            "Excuse me. I see someone I need to talk to," said Ben leaving her standing there confused. Behind her, Lucas was watching Ben with an intent expression. He decided to stay close to Ben to see if he could learn anything else about Tim and Miguel.

            Lucas lurked and nibbled from the buffet and tried not to get bored but Ben didn't say anything else about Tim or Miguel. Giving up on the covert operation, he went to stand beside Ben. He wouldn't learn anything this way but it was a lot more fun. Across the room, Lucas could see Miguel mingling. Eventually as Ben and Miguel forgot they were avoiding each other, they wound up in the same vicinity.

            "My Best Man? Tim?" Miguel said loudly. He took another gulp of his drink, probably feeling hurt and sorry for himself over the whole thing. "No way! The idiot's insanely jealous of Carla. Couldn't even show up for the wedding."

            "But I thought he was your best friend," said the other person. Lucas did not recognize him.

            "That's what I thought too," he shrugged. "Guess you never really know a person."

            "That's it!" growled Ben who could not help overhearing the conversation. "You have done quite enough to Tim already. You're not going to trash him in front of his friends." Before anyone could react, Ben's fist was flying through the air connecting solidly with Miguel's nose. He turned and marched out of the room. Miguel just stood there dumbfounded.

            Lucas frowned shifting to alternate between staring at Miguel and the door. He didn't know what Miguel had done but it must have been really awful or Ben wouldn't be so mad. Tim was Lucas's friend so that meant he should stand up for him like Ben, right? Nodding resolutely, Lucas stomped over and kicked Miguel in the shin then followed Ben out of the suddenly silent room.

[Change Scene]

There was knocking at the door again. Tim wanted to yell at them to go away but somehow he couldn't make himself open his mouth. Instead, he just lay there staring at the ceiling. The ceremony would be over by now. Unbidden, the tears began to pour down his cheeks. It hurt so much. More than he ever thought it would. 

Again the knocking came. Tim rolled over to face the wall. "Leave me alone," he whispered.

Always alone.

[Scene change]

            "Mr. Krieg, could you tell me why you hit one of my men in the middle of his wedding reception?" demanded Bridger.

            "Technically, sir," began Ben automatically, "Mr. Ortiz is no longer one of your men." He stared straight ahead no daring to relax a single muscle from full attention.

            "Perhaps you do not understand my position." Bridger was trying to be patient. "We should be having this conversation in the brig. Now explain to me why you hit Lieutenant Ortiz."

            "I lost my temper, sir. I apologize for hitting Ortiz on SeaQuest."

            "But not for hitting him?" Bridger smiled at the careful wording. "Relax, Mr. Krieg, you're not in serious trouble."

            "Yes, sir."

            "What did Mr. Ortiz do to make you lose your temper?"

            "He was making disparaging remarks about Lieutenant O'Neill."

            "And?" prompted Bridger.

            "Tim is my friend, sir. I could not let Mr. Ortiz do that to him. He's done enough harm to Tim already." Krieg clinched his fists in anger.

            "What did Mr. Ortiz do to Mr. O'Neill?" asked Bridger, concerned. Ben shifted to meet his Captain's gaze levelly.

            "I think you know the answer to that, sir."  Bridger frowned considering.

            "Very well, Mr. Krieg, you may go. You are restricted to your quarters until Mr. Ortiz has left the boat." Ben saluted.

            "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Ben paused at the door. "About Tim, you'll probably want to keep an eye on him. He'll need to be kept busy but not with anything that requires complete concentration."

            Bridger nodded understandingly. Long after Ben had left the room, Captain Bridger stared at his door wondering just when his boat had turned into a soap opera.

[Scene Change]

            "Captain Bridger," began the Prime Minister. "Welcome to Canada. I trust you've enjoyed your first few days here."

            "They've been eventful," admitted Bridger. She smiled.

            "So I've been told. You do not hat the authority here to perform marriages but we will honor the union."

            "Thank you. They will be relieved they don't have to go through a civil service."

            "We have much to discuss, Captain, and it can't be done through a vid-screen," began the Prim Minister ending the small talk. "Tomorrow my men will arrive to escort you to the airport where you will be flown to Ottawa."

            "I can't leave SeaQuest unattended."

            "She will be safe. How many men will you be bringing? Fifteen to twenty, maybe?"

            "That will be plenty," replied Bridger stiffly. He realized that he did not have much choice in the matter.

            "Good. Then I will see you tomorrow. And Captain, could you bring the child? I would really like to see what the fuss is over."

            The vid-screen went blank leaving Bridger shaking his head.

            "From the way she acts you'd think she was a Queen not an elected official," he muttered leaving the conference room. He had one day to figure out how to convince Kristin to agree to Lucas leaving the boat.


	21. Chapter Twenty

Author's Note:  This is the story that finally features the other contest winner. Bec_b's character is Ms. Rebecca Moore. I'm sorry you had to wait so very long for your prize.

Also, thank you to Cadnobach for her review.

            Lucas had been in an airplane on a few other occasions but it had never been like this. This airplane had soft seats with a tray that folded down from the one in front of him. There was a nice lady that brought him drinks and snacks. It had been a little scary during take off but the plane didn't shake the whole time. It was even quiet and he could look out the window. The ground below looked like a miniatures set. Ben had kept him occupied for a while pointing out landmarks.

            At the moment, Ben was sitting beside Tim at the back of the plane. Tim didn't appear to be listening to him though. Every time Lucas looked back to check on them Tim was staring out the window. Lonnie was sitting in the middle of the plane talking to the Lieutenant from security. Kristin and the Captain were asleep in the row ahead of him. Tired of looking at everyone inside the plane, Lucas turned back to the window. A few minutes later Ben reclaimed his seat with a sigh.

            "I don't know what else to do," muttered Ben to himself running a hand through his hair. "He shouldn't have to go through this alone."

            Lucas touched Ben's hand questioningly.

            "It's alright, kiddo. It's private. Don't worry about it."

            Lucas pantomimed locking his lips and throwing away the key. A girl did that in a movie he saw last week. Ben laughed.

            "No, I don't suppose you would tell anyone." Ben thought for a minute. "Well, Tim's having a hard time right now. He just ended a really close relationship and he can't tell anyone because this is the military."

            Lucas's forehead wrinkled in concentration. He remembered how angry Ben had been with Miguel. He thought about how close Tim and Miguel had always been. Even from a distance, he could tell that Tim had bags under his eyes. Carefully, Lucas got out of his seat and made his way to the back of the plane.

            "Lucas, what are you doing back here?" asked Tim as Lucas sat down beside him.

            Lucas threw his arms around Tim squeezing as hard as he could. Surprised, Tim returned the hug. Lucas wiggled until he was underneath Tim's arm then curled up against his chest. Closing his eyes, he waited for Tim to relax. Lucas stayed there for the rest of the flight.

[Scene Change]

            "Well, this isn't anything to write home about," remarked Jim as they made their way down the stairs from the plane. Ottawa International Airport was far from awe inspiring. Like the terminal they had just left and many airports across the nation, the airport was beginning to show its age. It was well kept but there just wasn't money in the budgets for renovations.  A line of black Cadillac's was waiting for them.

            "Welcome to Ottawa, Captain Bridger," greeted the short, stocky woman waiting at the end of the steps.  Her brown hair was pulled tightly back and bound out of the way. "I hope you enjoyed your flight."

            "Everything went fine. Thank you," he replied shaking her hand.

            "My name is Rebecca Moore. I'll be in charge of security for you and your crew as well as acting as your guide for group outings."

            "We brought our own security detail."

            "That's fine. We can coordinate our security." Captain Bridger nodded.

            "You will need to speak with Lieutenant Brody then. He is in charge of our security," he said.

            "I'll arrange a meeting as soon as we arrive at the accommodations. You and your men will be staying at Rideau Hall. It's quite close to the Prime Minister's estate." Ms. Moore waved them towards the cars. "After you, sir."

[Scene Change]

"This place is gorgeous," said Lonnie as she was ushered into the dining room. "I wish Katie could have seen this."

"I came here once on a field trip in high school," said Nathan taking his seat beside Kristin. "Didn't get to see the inside much.  It was still inhabited by the Governor General then."

            "How long has it been vacant?"

            "Oh, I'm not sure. The Canadian government has been forced to change a lot in recent years."

            "The Governor General was a sign of the strong ties between Canada and the Crown," replied Kristin. "When transatlantic travel became so dangerous, it was difficult to maintain those ties."

            "Oh that's right!" said Lonnie. "You're British, aren't you?"

            "Yes, although I doubt I'll see my homeland again."

            "You like it in North America though, right?" asked Tim as he arrived at the table.

            "Well, yes," answered Kristin. She glanced beside her at Lucas and noticed him playing with his water. "Lucas! Please stop fidgeting. I'm sure dinner will be served as soon as the rest of our party arrives."

            "Lieutenant Brody and the other security officers will not be joining us. They are coordinating our security with Ms. Moore."

            "I'm sorry for being so late," said Ben as he finally arrived. "I got a little lost wandering around the grounds. You should see the river." 

Behind him, waiters began entering the room with their meal. Soon the only sound was the chink of silverware on the china.

            "Captain, can we steal their chef for SeaQuest?"

            "I wish," murmured Kristin.

            "This doesn't make sense," said Nathan abruptly, frowning at his plate. "Why hasn't anyone contacted us yet? The Prime Minister didn't bring us here to feed us gourmet food."

            "Running a country must be hard work. She probably just got caught up with something."

            "Perhaps." Nathan frowned again. "I just want to know what she wants."

[Scene Change]

            Nathan yawned as he made his way down to the dining room early the next morning.  The presence of guards on either side of the entrance made him straighten alertly.  Pausing for a deep breath, he pushed through the doors.  The Prime Minister sat regally at the head of the table. She was immaculately dressed in a business suit and sipping a cup of coffee. She looked like she had been awake for hours.

            "Good morning, Captain," she said looking up from her paper. "I trust you had a restful night."

            "Yes, thank you. The accommodations have been wonderful." Nathan took a seat beside the Prime Minister.  A cup of coffee was quickly poured for him.

            "I had hoped to meet with you last night but something came up."  She slid a pair of newspapers over to him.  One was in French and the other in English. A picture of him and Kristin exiting their car yesterday was on the front page of both of them. "Canada Harboring SeaQuest Fugitives" read the English headlines. He sucked in a breath and read further as the article detailed their arrival in Canada.

            "What's the meaning of this?"

            "You caused quite a stir when you stole your vessel. Some of my country men are not happy to see you here. This could potentially cause problems with the United States."

            "You knew our status would be problematic before you invited us here," replied Nathan straight forwardly.

            "True. But we did not expect the news to reach the media so soon."

            "What do you want with SeaQuest?"

            "I believe in your cause. Keeping you patrolling the Atlantic will benefit Canada." She watched him then smiled. "We believe that SeaQuest will be important for several of our long term and short term plans."

            "What kind of plans?"

            "All in good time, Captain Bridger," she laughed. "Right now I'm more concerned with how we can help you. Then there's the minor detail of a job Canada would like to hire you to do."

[Scene Change]

            "Relax. He's not going to drown him."  Tim sat down beside Kristin on the patio and began peeling his orange.

            "Am I really that bad?" asked Kristin with a rueful smile. 

            "Only slightly."

            "I just want to protect him. He's been through so much in his short life."  She turned and looked at Tim in surprise as he started laughing.

            "I'm sorry.  It's just that after everything we go through on a normal day you're going on like this about Ben giving Lucas swimming lessons."  Kristin stared at him for a minute then started laughing too.

            "When you put it like that, it does seem kind of silly," she admitted.  They watched as Ben tried to get Lucas to lie on his back and float.  Lucas was staring at Ben with an expression that plainly said, "You've got to be kidding me."

            "Come on! Lay back already," said Ben loud enough for his voice to carry over the water. "Look, if I wanted you to sink, I could just do this." Ben lowered his arms and Lucas bobbed under the water. Before either of the spectators could react, Ben lifted him back up.  Lucas came to the surface sputtering with laughter.  He lay back in the water like Ben had instructed and promptly sank again.  It took several more minutes of coaching from Ben before Lucas was able to float by himself.

            "That looks like fun," said an unfamiliar feminine voice behind Kristin. Tim and Kristin turned around to see a petite blond-haired woman standing beside Nathan in the doorway. "I'm Debra Tibault, Canada's Prime Minister."

            "This is Timothy O'Neill, a lieutenant aboard SeaQuest, and Dr. Kristin Westphalen, one of our physicians and Lucas's guardian."

            "Pleased to meet you."

            "The two in the pool are Benjamin Krieg, another of my lieutenants, and Lucas Wolenczak."

            "Lucas," called Kristin. "It's time to get out of the water. There's someone that wants to meet you."

            He was grinning as he walked over to her leaving footprints of water trailing from the edge of the pool.  Kristin wrapped him in the fluffy terrycloth towel she'd brought and gave him a hug.  Lucas looked up at the Prime Minister innocently.  Water dripped from his hair to tickle his nose.  The Prime Minister gasped as the towel fell open revealing the vivid pink scars on his pale chest. 

            The Prime Minister stepped forward and held out her hand to Lucas. "Hi, I'm Debbie."

            Kristin immediately took a step closer to Lucas. She watched the woman warily. Beside her, Ben and Tim both tensed.  Oblivious, Lucas smiled shyly and shook her hand.

            "I'm very pleased to meet you," she said with a smile. She raised her head and met Kristin's eyes including her in the smile. "I think I understand the decisions that SeaQuest made a little better."

[Scene Change]

            Peering through the curtains, Lucas bit his lip and watched as more and more people kept filling into the room.

            "Explain to me again why we needed to be here for this media circus?" demanded Kristin behind him.

            "I know you don't want to be here and I know you don't want Lucas here," answered Bridger.  "The fact is that we're big news right now. The Prime Minister felt the best way to inform everyone of our deal was to have you and the crew here for the press conference."

            "Lucas is not to be harassed."

            "I know," repeated Bridger. "They're just going to take pictures of him."

            Lucas sighed. He pulled the curtains to a close and left Kristin and the Captain to their arguing.  They just kept repeating the same things over and over again.  He sat down beside Ben in the chairs they had provided for him.  Scuffing his feet on the floor, he wished he could go home.

            "It's time to go on," said the technician. "Could I have everyone line up here?"

            Lucas stood beside Kristin holding her hand.  She looked down at him and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

            "Don't be nervous," she said. Lucas nodded but couldn't help thinking about all of those people. 

            She tugged on his hand and he followed her up the stairs.  He was immediately blinded by the torrent of flashing cameras.  When the spots cleared, he was standing on podium before a mass of people.  He shuddered slightly and squeezed his eyes shut.

            "_The next item up for auction is a prime specimen.  This boy is seven years old and just graduated at the top of his class.  He comes with certification proving his breeding and Mensa certification. This is a purchase that guarantees you top of the line computer protection for years to come."_

_            0916 shook as he was shoved up on stage next to the auctioneer.  The bright stage lights made it hard to see the crowd. To him, the shadows looked like ogres and his insides shook at the thought of one of them owning him._

_            "The bidding with open with a thousand credits. Do I hear a thousand credits? Two thousand credits. Show me three thousand credits…"_

            "Lucas? Are you all right?"  Lucas blinked rapidly, focusing on Kristin's face. Dazed, he nodded.  He winced as the noise of the microphone being adjusted. 

            "Thank you for gathering here today," said the Prime Minister as she opened her speech. "Our world has been a dark and dangerous place for much too long. Today, we will start to first step towards reclaiming our world…"

            Lucas jerked upright as someone in the audience screamed. "He's got a gun!" shouted someone else. Lucas's eyes widened as he heard the all too familiar crack of a gunshot.

            _"You! You did this!" shouted his owner, pointing a gun at the boy. The pot-bellied Captain stared down at him; his face contorted with rage.  Two sharp cracks._

            Something crashed into Lucas and he plowed into the floor. He could hear screaming every where.  There were more shots.  Gasping, he clutched his chest.  He couldn't breath!

            _"You! You did this!"_

            His eyes were wide open but he couldn't focus on anything.  His chest hurt so much. He was suffocating. Air! Why couldn't he breathe?

            "Doctor! We need a doctor!"

            "Get them out of the way."

            "Someone check on Lucas."

            Panting, Lucas tried to hold on.  His ears were ringing drowning out everything around him.  His lungs were screaming for air.  More. Just a little more.  Slowly, the darkness began to close in on him.  Lucas went limp as unconsciousness claimed him.


	22. Chapter Twentyone

Author's Note:  Once again I apologize for the long delay. It was definitely not my intention to leave Lucas's fate hanging for so long. I do not know when the next update will be. This story will be finished eventually.

                        I'd like to thank everyone who replied on the last chapter: Sara, Cadnobach, Denise Patterson, Mel, Mercedes Aria, jlynn, medellia, Karrah Aretz, and Kathy.

            "Hey," said Nathan coming over to wrap his arms around Kristin. "How's Lucas doing?"

            "He's fine. Sleeping."

            "What was wrong with him?"

            "We think he had a panic attack. Maybe shock." Kristin sighed. "Physically, he's fine except for a few bruises from being pushed like that."

            "The Prime Minister will be reassured."

            "How is Ms. Moore?"

            "She's still in surgery but the doctors are hopeful," answered Nathan.

            "We owe her our lives. If she hadn't pushed us out of the way," Kristin stopped and shook her head.

            "I know," said Nathan rubbing her back.  He sighed. "Lieutenant Brody and Ensign Henderson are waiting with her friends and family. I should probably join them."

            "We'll be fine. Lieutenant Krieg and O'Neill will be here with us."  Nathan nodded tiredly and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

            "See you soon."

[Scene Change]

            "_Our top story today is an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Tibault and the envoy from SeaQuest."_

            "Turn it up!" said Katie hurrying over to the television. She pulled out her PAL dialing Jonathan. "Jonathan, you need to see this. Channel five news."

            "_Two people were killed and another ten were wounded when a man opened fire at today's press conference."  The screen showed people fleeing from the conference room. Another scene played out the events of the shooting starting from someone screaming that "he's got a gun."  Katie gasped and had to sit down. She could see Lucas and Captain Bridger tumbling to the ground as an officer barreled into them but she couldn't tell if they were OK.  The scene switched again. This time it showed Lucas being loaded into an ambulance.  "_It is unknown at this time whether the target of the shooting was the Prime Minister or one of the members from SeaQuest.  If you remember, SeaQuest is the naval submarine that went resigned from the ___US__ military last month."_

            "Oh God. Oh God," repeated Katie trying not to cry. "Not Lucas"

            "It's OK," said Jonathan entering the lounge and hurrying to her side. "I just contacted Captain Bridger. Everyone is fine. He apologized for not letting us know earlier."

[Scene Change]

            "Are you coming, honey?"

            Miguel could not answer as he stared at the television numbly.

            "_The suspect in the shooting was a Derek Franklin of _Toronto___. He was a known member of the Isolationist Party. He may have been seeking to prevent an alliance between __Canada__ and the SeaQuest that would have involved __Canada__ more in world affairs." A picture of the man was flashed upon the screen followed by the image of coroners leading out a body bag. "_Franklin___ was shot and killed during today's event. Reports state that one of the members of SeaQuest was responsible for stopping him and preventing further tragedy." This time the screen showed a picture of everyone on the podium then zoomed in highlighting Tim._

            Tim. Miguel could do nothing but stare. Of course, Tim would have been the one to save them.

            "Come on," said Carla. "We're going to be late." She turned off the television.

            He looked up at her dazed.

Tim.

[Scene Change]

            "Welcome back, sir," said Commander Ford a few days later as Nathan reclaimed his boat.  Ford looked tired and extremely happy to relinquish command. Nathan was glad to get back to SeaQuest. It had been an extremely trying week. 

            Lucas was fine. He was sticking particularly close to Kristin. Or Kristin was sticking particularly close to him. It was hard to tell with them. Nathan shook his head. Only they could be attacked on national television. At least Ms. Moore was going to live. She would be in intensive care for a while longer but they thought she would probably fully recover.

            "Thank you, Commander. Glad to be back," replied Nathan with a smile.

            "We received your message. None of the new crew members have arrived yet," continued Ford.

            "Thank you. I would like to see them when they do. Also, a replacement for Lieutenant Ortiz will be here tomorrow."

            "I will personally be here to greet him."

            "That would be excellent." Nathan stepped out of the walkway so the gentleman coming up behind him could board. "Commander, I would like to introduce you to Ambassador Dickson."

            Commander Ford shook hands with the tall, slender man.

            "The Ambassador will be our guest for the next few months," said Nathan. "Ambassador, this is my second-in-command, Commander Ford."

            "It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander."

            "Commander, please page me if anyone needs me. I will be showing the Ambassador around the boat."

[Scene Change]

Tim sat his duffle on his bunk and looked around his vacant room. All evidence that Miguel had lived here had been removed. Even his personal photos of the two of them were gone. They'd been taken down and placed in a box sometime during his visit to Ottawa.

The silence was oppressive. Never before had his room felt so lonely. For a minute, Tim considered finding one of the guys. His room would still be here though and he refused to be scared away by the past. He forced himself to calm down.

            Tim sat down at his desk and booted up his computer. The internet would keep him company. He might even have an e-mail from his sister. He hadn't talked to Amy in a long time. Yes. He would write to her even if she hadn't written to him.

[Scene Change]

Lonnie set her wrench down and frowned in the direction of the muffled curses. A few clangs and thumps later and she had to duck out of the way of a flying screwdriver. Lonnie put away her tools and crossed to the other side of the bay. She would wait out of harms way for Jim to finish.

            "Where did you go?" asked Jim poking his head out of the fighter about twenty minutes later.

            "I don't get hazards pay for working with you."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I mean sooner or later one of those flying tools is going to hit me. No thanks. I'll just stay over here and watch you work."

            "I'm not that bad," he protested, coming to sit down beside her. She shrugged.

            "Usually, you're not. You've been rather," she paused to choose her words carefully," irritable lately. What's going on?"

            "Nothing's going on!"

            "Something is. Is it Ms. Moore? They said she was going to be fine."

            "I already said nothing's going on!"

            "Jim," she said placing a hand on his shoulder. "This is me, Lonnie, speaking. What's bothering you?" Finally, he sighed and hung his head.

            "It should have been me," he said very quietly.

            "What do you mean?"

            "Becky got hurt when it should have been me."

            "Jim, I know you care about her but that's no reason to-"

            "It's not that!" He stood slinging her arm away. "I don't care about her. I mean, I do but that's not the point. He's MY Captain. It was MY crew.  She got hurt doing MY job!"  He spun around to face Lonnie. "It should have been me."

            "Jim, she was just doing her job too. It could have been either one of you."

            "But it wasn't. It was her."

            "You didn't let us down. You didn't fail Captain Bridger."

            "This discussion is over," growled Jim. He turned and marched out of the fighter bay. 

            Lonnie sighed and put her head down on her knees. Men were entirely too complicated sometimes.

[Scene Change]

            "So this is SeaQuest," he thought as he stepped through the airlock onto the boat.

            "Lt. Danabe?" asked a large black man with Commander's insignia.

            "Yes, sir." Daniel saluted and handed the Commander his papers.

            "Welcome to SeaQuest, Lieutenant. I'm Commander Ford. Captain Bridger would like to meet with you in his quarters."

            "Thank you, sir." He paused glancing at the two corridors leading from the bay. "Is there someone that could show me the way?"

            "Lt. O'Neill," called Commander Ford. "Would you escort Mr. Danabe to the Captain's quarters?"

            "Yes, sir." Daniel inspected his guide closely as he followed him down the corridor. O'Neill seemed out of place on a warship. He looked like the sort that would be comfortable in a library or a lecture hall. Daniel knew better than to judge by appearance alone though. A small frame could hide deceptive strength and Mr. O'Neill wouldn't walk with such confidence if he was truly as out of place as he seemed.

            "Do I pass?" asked O'Neill with a smirk. Daniel gave a start as he realized he'd been caught.

            "I'm sorry," he began.

            "Don't worry about it." O'Neill shrugged and smiled. "I'm used to it." He stopped and held out a hand. "I'm Tim."

            "Daniel." He shook Tim's hand.

            "Well, here's Captain Bridger's room. Good luck." Daniel watched Tim walk down the corridor out of sight. He turned back to the hatch and after taking a deep breath, knocked.

            "Come in." Daniel straightened his uniform again then pushed the hatch open. The Captain stood as Daniel entered the room. He was a kind looking older gentleman.

            "You must be Lieutenant Danabe," said the Captain with a smile.

            "Yes, sir," replied Daniel with a crisp salute.

            "At ease, gentleman. You'll find that SeaQuest is more relaxed than most boats. The circumstances here are a bit different." Daniel relaxed. "We are not affiliated with any government or military. Your situation is slightly different because you can return to your position in the Canadian navy. We have given up our careers and our homes to serve SeaQuest and what she stands for. Will you be able to show the same level of dedication?"

            Daniel lifted his gaze to the picture of the crew mounted behind Captain Bridger. Did he have that level of dedication? As he considered his answer, the picture shifted becoming a smiling red-haired woman holding a beautiful blond-haired little girl. The picture shifted again becoming a house hollowed and blackened by fire. Daniel blinked and the picture was of SeaQuest's crew again.

            "I love my country but I don't have a home there anymore," said Daniel finally. "Right now the best thing I can do for my country is to serve SeaQuest."

            "And if we come in conflict with Canada?"

            "The Prime Minister and my superiors believe SeaQuest's mission benefits Canada. Anything beyond that I can't say."

            "Fair enough." Captain Bridger shuffled through Daniel's papers. "You're going to be rooming with our head communications technician, Lieutenant Timothy O'Neill. He'll show you around the ship and teach you how things work here. For the first week, I want you working in tandem with our other sensors technicians until you've learned our system. Any questions?"

            "Not at the moment, sir," answered Daniel. "I'm sure I'll have some once I start processing everything."

            "You're welcome to come see me with any questions." Captain Bridger picked up a device on his desk. "Lieutenant O'Neill, please report to my quarters."

            "Right away, sir," came the response from what was obviously some sort of portable communications device.

            "So where in Canada are you from?"

            "I grew up in Montreal, Quebec but for the past six years Fredericton, New Brunswick has been my home."

            "I was stationed on Prince Edwards Island for quite some time. I raised a family there."

            "Really? Do they still live there?"

            "They're dead," answered Captain Bridger coldly. "Killed in the raids."

            "I'm sorry," said Daniel swallowing convulsively. The image of the empty charred house swam before him. "I know how hard that is."

             Bridger glanced down at his papers somberly. "I know you do." Before Bridger had a chance to say anything else, Tim arrived to show Daniel to their room.

            "O'Neill, Lieutenant Danabe will be sharing your quarters. Please help him become familiar with the boat." Tim looked Daniel over with an unreadable expression on his face then nodded.  Daniel smiled apologetically.

            "Come, Lieutenant," began Tim. "I'll show you where we live."


	23. Twentytwo

Author Notes: 

I blame Maureen.

Thanks to Cadnobach, Sara, Maureen, and Rhaeve for their reviews. Thanks to Dusk for the advice.

Tony hovered at the back of the room trying to stay out of the way.  Imagine him in the wardroom at an Officers' meeting.  He probably stood out as bad as a normal among alphies. This was all Katie's fault. She had insisted that he come with her so they would have more time for his lessons afterwards. He just couldn't say no to her.  Tony shifted uncomfortably and rubbed at the grease spot on his pants. At least, he wasn't alone.  That would be worse. He didn't think he could take it if he was the only person standing here and everyone was looking at him knowing he didn't belong.

            "Calm down, kid," whispered Gene Aldrey. He was Tony's boss. All of the department heads were at the meeting along with the doctors from medbay.

            "I'm calm," insisted Tony. Gene just patted him on the shoulder and tried to make a little more elbow room in the crowd.

            "Thank you for coming," began the Captain as he stood to start the meeting. "This will be brief. We just have a few important announcements.

            "First off, we have a new addition to our crew. I would like to introduce Lt. Danabe. He will be taking over Sensors."

            There was a shuffle as the new lieutenant stood up. Briefly, Tony wished he'd picked a spot with a better view. He would have kind of liked to have seen what the new guy looked like.

            "There have also been a few additions to the rest of our staff.  The affected departments have already been notified and the men will begin work tomorrow. Now, I would like to introduce everyone to our guest, Ambassador Dickson.  He will be staying with us for a while because we will be taking him to England."

            England! He couldn't have heard that right. Why on earth would they be going to England? No one traveled that far anymore.

            "Quiet!" commanded Captain Bridger, silencing the murmurs. "Yes, we are going to England.  One of the matters of business with the Prime Minister was the hiring of SeaQuest to provide transportation and protection for Mr. Dickson. This will not be an easy voyage but the gains far out weigh the risks."

            Tony didn't pay attention to any more of the meeting. He was too busy thinking about England. Wow. They still had Kings and Queens, right? Maybe he could meet some Royalty! Imagine that. Of course, he knew he couldn't really meet any of the Royalty. That would be like him thinking he could be an officer or something. Some things just didn't happen.

            "See, that didn't take too long," said Katie, interrupting his thoughts. "Now, come on, we have a book waiting for us."

[Scene change]

Tim scrolled through the pages of his latest book, **The Sociopolitical Stage in the Modern World**, as he surreptitiously watched his new roommate put away the last of his belongings. The man was undeniably handsome but then you could say that about almost any man on SeaQuest. The unappetizing but nutritious meals kept people lean and the physically grueling fighting kept them in shape. Tim wondered if the Canadian military used the same formula. 

Danabe's hair was straight and dark. It somehow gave the impression that it should have been much longer. Tim thought he looked kind of like that actor, Adrian Paul, from the old television series Highlander. Tim had watched that show when he was younger. He liked anything with a historical element even if most shows embellished the facts beyond recognition. Xena was another favorite of his. Tim was something of a history buff. It wasn't really surprising since you needed to understand a culture before you could grasp their language and culture was nothing unless you knew the history behind it. 

Danabe swore softly snapping Tim out of his tangent.  Tim looked up just in time to see Danabe bend over to retrieve something he'd dropped.  His heart sped up as Danabe's pants shifted to conform tightly to his backside.

"Whoa!" Tim told himself mentally. "Slow down there."

"But there's nothing wrong with looking."

"True," said Tim then laughed because he was arguing with himself.  Daniel glanced up at him puzzled then returned to his things.

The truth was that looking was all it would amount to. Danabe was simply safer ogle than most guys because he was new and, judging by the way Danabe kept sizing everyone else up, wouldn't react as badly to a guy admiring him. Danabe was still very much a stranger but Tim had picked up enough hints and clues to know that the man had some unresolved issues of his own. For that matter, Tim knew that he wasn't ready for another relationship or even capable of being interested in one at this stage of the game.  He was still struggling with not falling apart every time he looked somewhere Miguel was supposed to be and didn't see him. Tim sighed and turned to read his book for real this time.

[Scene Change]

            "Oh, Nathan, tell me again. Are we really truly going to England?" said Kristin with a beaming smile.

            "Really and truly," he assured with a smile. Gently, he leaned down to kiss her.

            "I know I've made you tell me a dozen times now. It's just… It doesn't seem real, I suppose. I spent so much time resigning myself to the fact that I'd never see her again and now I'm going home."

            "I don't mind at all." He kissed her again allowing his hand to trail down her back. "I've never seen you so happy."

            "How long is SeaQuest going to be there? Do you think you'll have time to come out and meet my family? I hope Mum's still alive. I think she'd like you." Kristin was practically glowing as she spoke. One would have thought Nathan had given her the moon on a necklace.

            "I don't really know how long things will take. I think arrangements can be made for a visit."

            "I wonder how Lucas will like England. He'll be safe there at least. Our government wouldn't stoop to stealing children."

            "Safe there?" He paused as the horrifying implications hit. "You mean to stay there?"

            "Well, it is my home and really a submarine is no place to raise a child."

            "I see," said Nathan quietly. "Well, we should finish our lunch before someone comes looking for us."

            "Oh! Right!" Kristin returned her attention to her sandwich.  The smile never left her face. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice that Nathan was no longer enjoying things as much as he had been.

[Scene Change]

"Daddy," said the girl pulling on her fathers arm. "Will you play with me?"

            "Not now, Caitlyn, darling. I'm watching the news."

            "But I have a new video game," she protested.

            "After the news, sweetheart," he promised. "Why don't you sit down and watch it with me? You were interested in all that SeaQuest stuff a few weeks ago."

            "OK," she said sitting on the couch and scooting over next to him. "What's going on now?"

            "Well, SeaQuest has just left Canada. Everyone's trying to find out where it's heading now and if this means Canada's going to declare war on us."

            "That's silly. Canada likes us."

            "That's politics."

            "It's silly! Besides, SeaQuest's not going to attack the US. Ms. Haley says that they're just trying to protect that little boy. She says they're heroes."

            "Your teacher seems to have a lot to say about things."

            "Ms. Haley wouldn't lie to us. Her brother's on that boat."

            "Well, I don't think we have to worry about SeaQuest very much." He smiled down at his daughter and ruffled her hair. "Now, how about that game?"

[Scene Change]

            Tim shut his door with a sigh.  Daniel had decided accept Ben's invitation to join the guy's gambling night.  This was Tim's first chance to get away from the man.  It wasn't that he disliked Daniel.  He really seemed like a nice guy.  It wasn't even the fact that Daniel was taking over every role Miguel filled except the important one. It was simply the fact that you can only take so much time around someone before you get tired of their company. He needed a break.  He needed a break from everyone. Not caring where he went, just that he was alone, Tim began to walk. 

Some time later, he was startled by what sounded like a splash.  He stopped and looked around him, realizing his wanderings had brought him near the moonpool. 'Darwin would be good to talk to,' thought Tim as he continued forward.

            He stopped again at the entrance to the moonpool. Lucas was standing with his back to the door. Darwin was bobbing in the water in front of him. Tim wavered for a moment then decided to leave. Lucas reminded him too much of Miguel and those children. Everything reminded him of Miguel. All of a sudden, Lucas let out a strangled yell flinging a book across the room.

            "It can't be that bad," said Tim moving to pick up the book automatically. Lucas whirled around and stared at him.

            "American Sign Language," read Tim from the cover. "Trying to talk to Darwin were you?"

            Lucas looked down at his feet and nodded.

            "Don't be discouraged. It's hard to teach yourself a language if you don't have any background in them. Would you like my help?"

            Lucas nodded eagerly. 

            "Let's start with the alphabet." Tim folded his fingers over into a fist. "A." He reached out and took Lucas's hand. Gently, he folded Lucas's fingers into the letter 'A'. "A."

            Lucas studied the hands. Slowly, he spread out his fingers then folded them back. He held the new 'A' out to Tim questioningly. Tim nodded approvingly. Lucas grinned and turned to Darwin who was watching them curiously. Lucas folded his fingers and showed them to Darwin who bobbed unimpressed. Lucas bit his lip in frustration. He tried again with the same effect. He glared at Darwin and stomped away from the water.

            "Whoa, where are you going?" asked Tim. Lucas whirled around and glared at him accusingly. "Why are you upset?"

            Lucas pointed at Darwin and glowered.

            "Lucas, Darwin can't understand a letter. You use them to spell words and Darwin only understands commands."

            Confused, Lucas cocked his head at him. Tim decided to try again.

            "Do you know what the alphabet's for?" Lucas shook his head no. Tim thought for a minute then picked up the book again. Pointing at the letter 'A' he asked, "Do you know what this is?"

            Lucas nodded and held up one finger. Taking a pen, Tim wrote Lucas's name in the margin of the book.

            "And this?" Lucas pointed to himself. He watched Tim wondering what kind of game they were playing. Tim wrote "Lucas" again but left big spaces between the letters so that it didn't look like one word. "What about this one?"

            Lucas looked at it for a moment then shook his head no. He didn't recognize this pattern. Tim stared at Lucas in astonishment.

            "You can't read. You've just memorized all of the words." Tim shook his head. Some how Lucas had managed to teach himself enough meanings to be able to read without grasping the concept of reading. This was amazing. If he didn't understand spelling, he probably didn't understand the fundamentals of grammar or language.  This was why Lucas was still limited to communicating through gestures. Tim felt a thrill of excitement. Lucas was a linguist's dream.

[Scene Change]

            "Hit me," said Ben rubbing his lucky penny. Jim slapped a Jack down on top of the eight. "Busted."

            "Stay," said Danabe as Jim looked towards him. Ben sighed and threw his cards into the middle of the table.

            "I'm good," said Lonnie. Ben fiddled with his quarters restacking them into neat columns. Across the table, Jim was mulling over his cards. Finally, he flipped a card over for himself and nodded.

            "Twenty-one," he said flipping over his cards.

            "Ha! Blackjack!" said Lonnie with a grin. Danabe, Katie, and Jon simply slid their cards over to join Ben's. Lonnie danced in her seat as she slid the pot over to her.

            "So, Daniel, how do you like SeaQuest?" asked Ben as Lonnie reshuffled the deck.

            "It's different. That's for sure. I've never been on a boat like this."

            "You'll never be on another one like her," said Jon with a proud smile.

            "You better watch out," warned Ben. "You keep saying stuff like that and Bridger's going to put you in charge of making the recruitment video." He felt a kick under the table and looked up to see Katie sticking her tongue out at him.

            "All right, gentlemen," said Lonnie cracking her knuckles. "Time to place your bets."

            "Ante up! Ante up!" cried Ben sliding a couple dollars in coins into the center of the table.

            "You are such a little kid," said Katie, throwing her part into the pot.

            "OK, children," warned Jon.

            "Yes, Dad," mimicked Jim in a little kid's voice.

            "So," said Lonnie, as she dealt the cards. "Daniel, how did you end up being assigned to SeaQuest?"

            "Mostly luck, I guess." He shrugged. "You needed someone to replace the last guy.  I just happened to fit the bill and wasn't assigned to any crucial position."

            "So that's how you have so many of the same skills."

            "Well, yeah. You didn't think he was the only person in your navy to hold all those qualifications did you?"

            "I never really thought about that," said Lonnie.

            "Yeah," interrupted Ben. "Always remember you're replaceable."

            "Gee, there's a good morale booster. I hope you're not looking for a promotion," joked Katie.

            "A promotion to what? Are they going to give me my own launch to command?"

            "OK. Who needs a hit?"

            "Give me your best shot," said Jim.

            "Hit me," said Daniel. He looked at his cards then pushed them into the middle of the table.

            "Well, you may have been matched with Migs' other skills but you definitely can't play cards like him," said Ben with a smile. "That's OK, though.  I'll be glad to take your money."

[Scene Change]

            "Thank you, Lucas. That's all I need for you to do."

            Lucas heaved a sigh of relief as he was allowed to leave Kristin's office.  He crossed the room to the adjacent vacant laboratory where he had been spending most of his time since they had gotten back from their trip.  He kept telling himself that it was because the lab held plenty of space and the appropriate equipment for his project. Only occasionally did he allow himself to admit that the lab's proximity to Kristin was its greatest advantage.

            "You saw for yourself," continued Tim. His voice was just loud enough to carry. "Lucas can't read. He has no grasp of language. That's why he can't speak."

            Lucas looked at the mess of wires on the table and his computer sitting silent in the corner.  He really didn't want to work on any of that right now. It was going in circles. Or maybe it just seemed that way. He wasn't doing anything yet. The hardware was getting better.  The program was finished, had been for a while. It was useless though. He didn't have any way to test it. He couldn't collect any data from Darwin.  How was he supposed to find patterns without a sample? It was just so frustrating!

            Lucas sighed again.

            "Oh, I understand that," said Kristin. "But what can we do to help him?"

            Lucas looked up as her voice grew clearer. She smiled at him from the doorway. He waved and she moved back into her office. Anything else she said was muffled by her footsteps. She did that a lot now. She was always checking up on him. It was kind of like being on one of those ships. You got used to the constant surveillance. Made real sure you weren't ever doing anything wrong. This felt different though. It wasn't scary at all.

            If he wasn't going to do any work, he needed something to do for a while.  A flash of color caught his eyes. His crayons.  Ben had given them to him.  Said every kid needed to color. Lucas thought one of the children had left them on board. Maybe not. Lucas had felt kind of silly the first time he used them and the blank book that came with them. He wasn't quite sure how but he thought only little children were supposed to use them. But then Ben had given to him so he had supposed it was all right if he tried them. And now he loved them. Half of the book was full already. There was just something wonderful and calming about thinking about nothing but what color to use next and how to stay in the lines. It made a great break from his project.

            Lucas hunted through the wires and tools until he found his coloring book. He pushed aside enough space on the table and opened it up. Selecting the brown crayon, he set to work. A slight wrinkle set in his forehead as he concentrated. The room was silent except for the soft scrape of the wax on the paper and the muffled conversation from across the hall. Suddenly, the conversation in Kristin's office became heated ending the tranquility.

            "I am a licensed psychologist!" exclaimed Wendy, her voice rising with each word. "I think I know how to teach children better than you."

            "And I am a linguist," argued Tim calmly. He wasn't shouting like Wendy but his voice was raised enough for Lucas to hear every word. "I have forgotten more languages than you will ever know. Do you really think you're more qualified to teach Lucas?"

            "You have no idea how to deal with traumatized children! They require special care!"

            "Dr. Smith, with all due respect, you were trained to work on a naval vessel. How much expertise can you really have with children?"

            "Enough!" said Kristin. Lucas sat up straight and listened hard trying to hear what she had to say. "Neither of you have ever worked with someone like Lucas."

            "Yes, but."

            "Dr. Smith, may I remind you that I am Lucas's guardian. I make the decisions regarding him." Their voices fell and Lucas couldn't hear what was said next. He sat very still in his seat, his mind racing.  What were they saying? Was it worth it to sneak over to the doorway where he would be able to hear better? Would he be in trouble if he did?

            "Lucas!"  

He jumped, staring around the room as though he'd been caught. He looked to the door and Kristin was standing there with Tim. 

            "Lucas, sweetie, I have some good news for you."  Lucas looked from Kristin to Tim worriedly. He didn't know if this was going to be a good thing. "Tim is going to teach you how to speak."

            Tim smiled at Lucas, delighted.

"Aren't you excited? Don't you think this will be fun?"

            Lucas swallowed nervously. Suddenly, he felt like he had some idea of how the fish felt just before the shark ate him.


End file.
